Crazy Wild Life
by SapphirexMoonlight
Summary: Sequel to Crazy Stupid Love. Pregnant with Klaus's child, Cassandra Forbes leaves the comfort of her home in Mystic Falls and relocates to New Orleans where a supernatural war between vampires, witches, and werewolves is brewing. With her life on the verge of changing forever, she faces new obstacles and threats as her relationship with Klaus is put to the ultimate test.
1. A Secret Plan Revealed

**So here we are, the beginning of the sequel to _Crazy Stupid Love_. If you haven't read that story yet, I highly suggest you do so before reading this because it will allow you the chance to get to know Cassandra and see how her relationship with Klaus developed. Plus, if you have a keen eye and memory, you might be able to recognize little tidbits and references to the first story, but only if you've read it. I can't begin to describe how excited I am to finally start sharing this. It is going to be one grand, epic adventure with many ups and downs, twists and turns, and I'm thrilled to have you along for the ride. Without further ado, I give you _Crazy Wild Life!_**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the the show. The only thing that is my own original creation is Cassandra.**

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 **Chapter 1 - A Secret Plan Revealed**

Her first clue that she was no longer alone in the enormous Colonial-style mansion was the sound of the front door opening and closing with a loud click. Armed with an iron fireplace poker, Cassandra Forbes quietly tiptoed down the stairs. Her heart pounded inside of her chest as she gripped the iron tightly in her hands, preparing to defend herself from the unexpected intruder.

"Cassandra?" A familiar female voice stopped her in her tracks as she neared the bottom of the staircase.

"Rebekah?" Cassandra's face broke out into a huge grin. "Oh my god! What are you doing here?" She set down the poker at the foot of the stars and rushed over to the original vampire, throwing her arms around her in a warm embrace.

"Well, hello to you too," Rebekah chuckled as she hugged Cassandra back. After they broke apart, Rebekah's face grew serious. "Elijah isn't answering his phone. I'm worried. Do you know where he is?"

Cassandra shook her head. "Last time I saw him was when Klaus and I arrived here three days ago. The next morning Klaus told me he bailed. I didn't think Elijah was the type to break promises, especially considering the lengths he took to keep me safe.

"He isn't, which means Niklaus has done something dastardly and Klaus-like," Rebekah spoke through clenched teeth." She turned and began to walk farther into the house, yelling out as she rounded a corner and headed into the parlor room. "Klaus, get out here and tell me what you've done with our brother, you narcissistic, backstabbing wanker!"

Fighting the urge to laugh, Cassandra turned around and began to make her way back upstairs. When she reached the first floor landing she sat down and made herself comfortable on the first step of the next set of stairs and stared out at the wooden banister at Klaus and Rebekah who began to bicker about their older brother's whereabouts.

So many different thoughts were swirling inside her mind. What happened to Elijah? Why would Klaus make up a lie about Elijah leaving, especially when he and Cassandra were supposed to be working on patching things up? In her mind this was a step in the wrong direction. It wasn't helping him earn her forgiveness. She knew she'd have to talk to him about it eventually, but for now she was willing to keep her thoughts and feelings to herself. She needed cold, hard proof that he'd lied before she could confront him.

She was shaken out of her thoughts when Klaus announced that he was going out to have another drink with Marcel Gerard, the vampire who currently controlled New Orleans.

"Elijah told me your plan to take apart Marcel's empire piece by piece. I don't remember it involving you two drinking New Orleans dry together," Rebekah narrowed her eyes at her older brother as he started to move towards the front door.

"I know you don't have many friends, Rebekah, but what some friends do when they get together is they drink," Klaus turned around and walked back over to her. "And when they drink, they tell secrets. Marcel has somehow found a way to control the entirety of witches in the Quarter, and I aim to uncover the 'how' so I might take it for myself. Finding Elijah didn't make my to-do list today." He walked over to the front door and pulled it open. Before he left, he turned around to face Rebekah one last time with a smug grin on his face. "Oh, and welcome home, little sister."

Rebekah shook her head as the door shut behind him and turned around to face Cassandra. "All right. I'm going to search this whole house inch by inch until I find what my evil brother has done to my good one. And you're going to help."

Cassandra quickly rose to her feet. "Lead the way."

Rebekah motioned for Cassandra to follow and led the way to a winding spiral staircase located in the main hall which led below the foundation of the mansion to a stone covered, cob web infested cellar. "The governor who built this house had lots of secret rooms. I'll show you his favorite."

The beam from the flashlight in Rebekah's hand landed on a dust covered coffin. "Klaus daggered Elijah, didn't he?" Cassandra whispered. She suddenly began to feel sick to her stomach. "But why? Why would he do this?"

"Why does my brother do anything evil? Because he feels like it," Rebekah met Cassandra's eyes briefly before walking further into the cellar. She stopped in front of another coffin. "This one's mine."

"Seriously? He's keeping your coffin on standby? Even after how mad I was at him after he daggered you back in Mystic Falls?"

"You know as well as I do, love, how he likes to be prepared for when his family members inevitably disappoint him," she sighed. "Elijah's isn't here. He must have stashed him elsewhere."

"Oh, ugh. I feel sick," Cassandra groaned and rubbed her stomach.

Rebekah turned around and gave her a sympathetic glance. "You should have stayed with your family in Mystic Falls."

"Yeah, well, the witches cast some sort of spell on me, linking me to one of them. They were less than thrilled when they found out I left the city to go to my sister's high school graduation and threatened to kill me if I leave town again," Cassandra grumbled in a low voice. "So I am stuck here for the time being."

"Oh, how lovely. Now I have some witches to deal with," Rebekah scoffed. "Once I deal with them and free you from their hex, I'm leaving as soon as I find Elijah. If you're smart you'll come with us."

Cassandra stood frozen in the cellar as Rebekah's words echoed in her mind. She watched Rebekah climb back up the spiral staircase, only following her once her legs remembered how to function properly. She hadn't considered leaving once they found a way to break the link between her and Sophie Deveraux. Klaus wanted the three of them, him, her, and their baby, to be a family. Truthfully, it was what she wanted too, but that didn't mean she couldn't be mad at him for daggering Elijah.

Resigned to not letting Rebekah's harsh words about her brother influence her, she started to turn around to head back up the spiral staircase when a piece of cloth sticking out from under Rebekah's coffin caught her eye. Curious, she used every ounce of muscle strength she had to push the coffin to the side and discovered the piece of cloth was actually a bundle with something wrapped in side. She reached down and picked the bundle up, palming it carefully as she untied the cloth strand keeping it wrapped up. When she pulled the cloth back and saw what was inside, her face broke out into a wide grin. She quickly put the cloth back in place and scurried upstairs with her discovery. She didn't stop until she reached her room and stuffed the cloth bundle into her purse for safe keeping. She would show it to Rebekah later.

Letting out a big sigh, she sunk down on the bed and let her eyes wander around the lavish suite. When they had first arrived at the house, she told Klaus that she wasn't ready to share a room with him yet and wanted her own, so he set her up in the suite next to his. She was extremely grateful he had respected her wishes. He also had gone above and beyond to make her feel as comfortable and at home as possible. She gazed over at the framed photo of her, her sister Caroline, and their mother taken after Caroline's high school graduation, recalling the moment Klaus had surprised her with it after they'd arrived at the mansion.

"Ugh, how can he go from doing something so incredibly thoughtful and sweet to doing something horribly nasty and cruel?" She sighed to herself. "Because he's Klaus, that's how."

She sprang off the bed to her feet as her aggravation over the situation grew. She grabbed her purse and quickly made her way downstairs, deciding some fresh air was exactly what she needed to calm down. As she walked down the circular driveway to the gate she let out a deep breath and embraced the warmth from the sun. A light, pleasant breeze hung in the air which kept her comfortable as she made her way down the street. She didn't intend to go far, just a few blocks.

A few minutes later she came upon a couple eating delicious looking, powdered sugar covered pastries. As she passed by them, Cassandra recognized the pastry from her first visit to New Orleans. _Oh man those look so good!_ She groaned silently. As she kept walking they were all she could think about. She _had_ to get some for herself. Determined to go to the ends of the earth if necessary, she pulled her phone out of her purse and did a search for the nearest bakery that made beignets. As luck would have it, she only had to walk four more blocks to get to one. With an extra little hop in her step, she continued on her way.

Just before she reached the final block before her final destination, she paused in front of the windows of a voodoo shop. The window displays instantly made her think of Bonnie. She eyed the door to the shop, debating whether or not to go in and find a little something for Bonnie, when the shopkeeper came out and locked the door behind her.

"Sorry, we're closed," she smiled apologetically at Cassandra.

"That's okay," Cassandra held up a hand. "I was just looking...and admiring. I have a friend who would totally love this store."

"You should bring her by."

"She lives in a different state, otherwise I would."

"Oh, sorry. Well, if you're interested in finding a gift for her, why don't you come back tomorrow? We open at 8. I'd be more than happy to help you then. I'm Katie," the dark-skinned, curly black haired shopkeeper held out her hand.

Cassandra placed her hand in Katie's, shaking it. "Cassandra. Thanks. I'll see if I can get back over here."

Katie stared silently at her for a long moment as they shook hands before releasing her grip and dropping her hand back to her side. "I hope to see you tomorrow. Have a nice night."

"You too," Cassandra gave her a friendly nod before continuing on her way down the street. With her back to Katie, she failed to notice the shopkeeper pulling her phone out to make a phone call while keeping her gaze fixed on Cassandra.

After stopping at the bakery and ordering a bag of beignets, Cassandra found a bench to sit down at so she could eat her snack. She moaned softly as she took a big bite out of one of the pastries, savoring every delicious crumb. In no time at all she polished off the entire bag she'd purchased. Feeling incredibly content, she leaned back against the wooden bench and let out a deep sigh.

"Hey, I know you," a light and friendly voice brought her out of her blissful state. Snapping her eyes open, Cassandra found the face of a familiar blonde smiling at her. "It's Cassandra, right?"

"Yeah. You…you're the bartender from Rousseau's. Camille..Cami," Cassandra smiled back.

"That's right. You're still in the city. Does that mean the interview went well? Did you get the job?

"Actually, I never made it to that interview."

"What? Why?" Cami sat down on the bench beside her. "I mean, if it's okay that I asked."

Cassandra nodded once. "It's fine. I was, uh, unexpectedly detained. It's just as well. I've got so much going on right now that I wouldn't be able to focus properly on writing a column for a paper." She paused to take a breath before continuing. "I found out I'm pregnant."

"Oh my god," Cami's eyes widened.

"The guy I told you about last time, the one I've been seeing for a while, he didn't think he could have kids, so we didn't take any precautions. Go figure, right?" Cassandra sighed softly.

"You sure he wasn't just feeding you some crappy line to get you to sleep with him?" Cami arched her eyebrows. "Because some guys are low enough scum to pull something like that."

"Oh gosh. Klaus isn't like that. I am absolutely certain of it. He honest to goodness didn't think it was physically possible for him to have children."

"Did you just say Klaus?"

"Yeah," Cassandra answered slowly. "Why?"

"This guy was at the bar tonight, hitting on me. He was with someone named Klaus," Cami told her.

Cassandra sat up straighter and turned her upper body towards Cami. "Cami, this is important. The guy that was hitting on you, his name wouldn't happen to be Marcel would it?"

"How on earth did you know that?" Cami stared her wide eyed.

"Because the guy named Klaus you mentioned…he's my Klaus. And Marcel is…was…an old friend of his. But they aren't friends anymore. It's complicated, but all you need to know is Marcel is bad news. Please, please be careful around him," Cassandra placed her hands on top of Cami's.

"You know, I pegged him, Marcel, as a bad boy. Don't worry, I plan to stay far, far away from both of them. I'd warn you to do the same, but…" she trailed off and glanced at Cassandra's stomach.

"Yeah," Cassandra murmured softly. "That's never going to happen. Klaus and I are forever connected now."

"Listen," Cami leaned forward slightly, "I don't know what kind of support system you have back home, but if you ever need someone to talk to, please, call me. You don't have to go through this alone, and I know from experience that sometimes it's easier to talk to someone who doesn't know you that well as opposed to talking to a family member."

"Thanks, Cami," Cassandra gave her a genuine smile. "That means a lot to me. You're like..the first real friend I've made since I've been here."

"Don't mention it. Hey, can I see your phone?" Cami held out a hand. Cassandra dug her cell phone out of her purse and handed it to the blonde bartender. Cami quickly tapped the screen, adding her phone number to Cassandra's contact list. "Now you have my number. Call me any time, day or night."

"I'll remember that. Same goes for you." Cassandra quickly dialed the number Cami had given her so Cami would have her phone number, too. They stood up and hugged each other before going their separate ways.

Cassandra began to walk at a brisk pace down the street in the direction of the mansion. The sun was setting and she wanted to get back before it went down completely. The streets were lacking in people as the shops had closed up for the night. She kept a tight grip on her purse straps and hugged it to her side as she walked. A loud crack from a twig snapping into two made her jump. She looked all around her, but didn't see anyone anywhere. Letting out a shaky breath, she turned back to the path in front of her and flinched backwards as she came face to face with a tall and muscular brown haired man. His most defining features were his blood red irises and black veins appearing underneath his eyes, and his very visible vampire fangs.

"You're the human under the protection of the Mikaelson's," he spoke in a low voice. "Marcel will want to meet you."

Eyes wide with terror, Cassandra gasped and turned around intending to run. She was unable to take even one step because there were two more vampires blocking her path. The brown haired vampire standing behind her grabbed her arm and yanked her backwards to him.

"If you want to live," he whispered into her ear, "You won't run."

"Please…don't…" Cassandra's voice trembled. Before she could say anything else, someone snapped the neck of one of the two vampires that she was now facing, and pulled the heart out of the other vampire, sending them both to the ground in a heap.

"Now that is no way to treat a pregnant lady," Rebekah stared at the two immobilized vampires as she tossed the bloody heart she held in her hand onto the sidewalk beside them. "I do hate bad manners."

Before Cassandra had enough time to blink, Rebekah whooshed behind the vampire that held her arm and snapped his neck, sending him to the ground. Cassandra side stepped to the right, putting some distance between herself and the incapacitated vampires.

"Thanks," she exhaled slowly in relief.

"You're welcome," Rebekah gave a single nod of her head. She pulled out her phone and called Klaus to notify him of what happened. The call lasted less than a minute. "He's on his way with the car. Be warned, he's in quite the foul mood now."

"Yeah, kinda figured he would be," Cassandra mumbled in a low voice as she hung her head down.

Klaus arrived five minutes later and wordlessly assisted Rebekah in putting the bodies of the three vampires into the back of the black SUV. The short ride back to the mansion was just as silent which put Cassandra on edge. She wished he would just have at it and yell at her. At least when he was yelling she knew what he was thinking.

Once they were at the mansion, Cassandra waited near the front steps while Rebekah stacked a pile of wood in the middle of the circular driveway and Klaus dragged over the three lifeless vampires from the back of the SUV.

"This is why I told you not to go anywhere alone," Klaus scolded her in a low voice as he dropped the last of the vampire bodies on the stack of wood and took a few steps towards Cassandra and Rebekah. "I had a plan, and your little evening stroll put it all in peril."

Cassandra wanted nothing more than to crawl and hide in dark hole. She felt like a little kid being reprimanded for something like crossing the street without permission. She had a hard time meeting his eyes, but she knew if she didn't try her best to maintain eye contact, she'd be a lot worse off.

One of the vampires, the one who'd grabbed her arm, started to wake up. Rebekah noticed and started to walk towards the center of the driveway.

"Leave him!" Klaus yelled, causing Cassandra to flinch in surprise and Rebekah to stop in her tracks and stare at him with her lips parted slightly. "You've done enough, don't you think? Leaving a trail of bodies like a roadmap to my door?"

"If I hadn't overheard this lot bragging about human leverage to be used against the Mikaelson's, everyone here would be screwed," Rebekah shot back with a glare. "And don't give me that crap about having a plan. You've had all the time in the world to execute a plan and no one's seen you do a damn thing! Elijah made a deal to protect _your_ child and the girl you supposedly love so that they could save you from your selfish, rotten self. But you obviously don't give a damn about the child, or Cassandra, or Elijah because what have you done to honor them?"

"I have done _everything,_ " Klaus growled as his eyes grew glossy from the emotions Rebekah's words evoked inside of him. "Let me spell it out for you, shall I? From the day I arrived, Marcel hasn't trusted me. From day one, he's had his vampires ingest toxic vervain, which as you know, little sister, protects them from my mind control. I needed a spy. Someone on the inside with me who Marcel would never suspect, so I created a day zero and got there first. Marcel had just lost six vampires, thanks to your little murder spree, and he needed new recruit, so I made the new one mine before he'd had even a drop of vervain. But we all know the real way to a man is through his heart, so I compelled the girl he fancies to give him a chance and report back to me where he goes and who he sees."

Cassandra wanted to give Klaus a piece of her mind for using her only friend like that, but she knew it was neither the time or place for it. She was certain he wasn't done lecturing her, and she didn't want to risk him doing something drastic like make Cami forget they ever met if he knew she'd told Cami she was pregnant. No, the best thing for her to do was remain silent.

"And this one," Klaus turned and pointed at the vampire behind them that was slowly waking up. He walked over and grabbed the vampire by the collar of his leather vest and began dragging him towards the front door. "I'm gonna drain him of vervain, compel him to believe his mates found religion and moved to Utah so that he can explain to Marcel why he lost three more vampires tonight."

Rebekah rejoined Cassandra and together they trailed behind Klaus as he opened the front door and dragged the vampire inside the mansion where he dropped him as soon as he crossed the threshold. They stopped just inside the doorway as Klaus turned around to face them again.

"Does anyone have anymore questions?" He held his arms to signify that he was still open to answering anything else they wanted to know. Cassandra stared silently at her hands. Rebekah didn't have anything else to add at the moment either. "No? Good. Because I have a question. Cassandra, sweetheart, what were you doing in the bloody quarter by yourself in the first place?"

Cassandra slowly raised her eyes to meet his and took a deep breath before answering. "I just wanted to take a walk and get some fresh air, clear my head. I was starting to go stir crazy being stuck inside this huge place. And frankly," she paused and folded her arms across her chest as she started to glare at him. "I've been trying to figure out why you looked me in the eyes and lied to my face about Elijah's whereabouts. I know you daggered him, so don't even try to deny it. Why would you do that to him after everything he's done to protect me and the baby… _your_ baby. You say you want us to be a family, but families don't keep each other in the dark when it comes to things like this. Families _communicate._ Families _trust each other no matter what_. At least where I come from that's what a family is, and it's the kind of family I want for our child."

Stunned by her accusations and overwhelmed with guilt, Klaus slowly sat down on the outer edge of the staircase landing and leaned back against the wooden bannister. He gazed blankly at the floor as Cassandra calmly walked over and sat down beside him.

"I gave Elijah to Marcel," he spoke in a soft voice, glancing over at her briefly before facing forward again.

"What?" Rebekah and Cassandra whispered, sharing a look of surprise.

"Marcel was nervous. It was bad enough one Original returned to town, but two?" He cautiously met her eyes. "His crew was getting antsy. He wanted Elijah gone, so I gave him a peace offering.

"You bartered our brother?" Rebekah stared in disbelief.

"I have a plan," Klaus flashed his eyes over to her briefly before returning his focus back to Cassandra. "Gain Marcel's trust, dismantle his empire, keep you and the baby safe at all costs, which I can't very well do when you go off by yourself without telling me or Rebekah. I am executing that plan the only way I know how. If you don't like it," he paused and shifted his gaze towards Rebekah again, directing his next words at her. "There's the door. See if I care."

He started to stand when Cassandra gently placed a hand on top of his arm, stopping him. "Wait," she murmured in a soft voice. He glanced at her, raising his eyebrows expectantly as he waited for her to continue. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for leaving without telling you. I know now that it was a dumb move that I didn't think through at all, and I promise it won't happen again."

"Thank you," he whispered as he gave her a nod of appreciation.

"Look, I won't lie to you. I don't like what you've done to Elijah one bit, but..."she paused when she noticed him beginning to frown and ran her hand down his arm until she reached his hand and slowly intertwined their fingers together. "I do understand your reasons for why you did what you did. I just wish you trusted me enough to confide in me."

"I do trust you, love, more than you probably know, but, can you honestly tell me you wouldn't have gone straight to Rebekah afterwards if I had told you about what I did to Elijah?" He asked in a soft voice. Her silence was a deafening no. "You see? _That_ is why I never told you. I know how close you and my sister have grown, and as grateful as I am for that, it presents a small conundrum leaving me no choice but to pick and choose what I do and do not divulge to you. Now I could compel you to keep my secrets, but I choose not to because it's the one thing I've never done to you in the entire time we've known each other, and I don't intend to change that. Ever."

"I suppose that's fair," A small smile tugged at Cassandra's lips.

"Indeed, it's quite fair," Klaus chuckled lightly. "And just for the record, when the time is right I _will_ get Elijah back."

"You're mental if you think I'm going to believe that," Rebekah scoffed as she folded her arms across her chest. "Do whatever the bloody hell you want. It's not like my opinion matters anyway." She stormed off in a huff, leaving Cassandra and Klaus alone in the foyer.

"She'll come around eventually," Klaus mused. "She always does."

"I'll talk to her. In the meantime, you can take care of that." Cassandra motioned with her at the lifeless vampire sprawled out on the floor in front of the entryway. "And his two buddies outside."

"Right you are, love," he smiled at her. He slowly stood up, bringing her with him. He started to pull his hand away from hers, but she wasn't ready to let go. He eyed her curiously. "Something wrong?"

She remained silent as she stepped closer to him and brought her free hand up to the side of his face. She leaned in and gently pressed her lips against his, letting them linger there for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Just wanted to do that, is all," she grinned.

"Mmm, I have missed that," he hummed as his eyes fluttered open.

"Well, maybe, if you play your cards right, there'll be more where that came from," she winked and turned around to head in the same direction Rebekah had gone. She could hear the soft growl that Klaus emitted under his breath as she walked away. For a brief second she thought he might block her path, but she heard the door open and close behind her, letting her know he'd gone outside to take care of the dead vampire bodies.

She found Rebekah sitting in a chair on the back porch. She made her way over and sat down in the empty chair beside her. "You know, I never thanked you for coming to my rescue back in the Quarter," Cassandra murmured as she turned her head towards Rebekah.

"We're family now," Rebekah flashed her a small smile. "Us girls have got to look out for each other."

"I never knew until I met your brother how exhausting it is to hate someone and love them at the same time," Cassandra sighed and leaned back against in her chair.

"Welcome to the last one thousand years of my life," Rebekah scoffed. "I try and try to love him and be the doting sister he desires, but sometimes the hate is just so powerful. You heard us talking about the governor's son earlier, right? Emil. He wasn't the only boyfriend of mine that Klaus killed." Cassandra nodded as a shudder ran through her. She didn't like thinking about that side of Klaus. She pushed them to the back of her mind and listened as Rebekah continued to talk. "He did it again and again every time I found someone to care about. He just kept doing it until finally I stopped falling in love. He said he was protecting me from my mistakes, that no one was ever good enough for his little sister…until one day someone was."

Cassandra leaned forward in her seat, her eyes growing wider as Rebekah told her about her past romance with Marcel Gerard when he was still human. It pained her to hear that Klaus had resorted to daggering Rebekah to keep her from being with Marcel. "I knew that Klaus had turned him, but, I didn't know he rescued Marcel when he was just a boy and raised him."

"Changes things a little, doesn't it?" Rebekah arched her eyebrows.

"Yeah. If you know Marcel has Elijah, why don't you just get him back yourself?"

"You know as well as I do if I cross Nik, there's still a coffin downstairs with my name on it."

The mention of the coffins instantly reminded Cassandra of what she'd found earlier that day. She told Rebekah she'd be right back and dashed off to the foyer to retrieve her purse from where she'd left it. She returned a minute later and sat back down beside Rebekah, resting her purse on her lap.

"He may have your coffin in the cellar, but it'll be a little hard for him to dagger you when he doesn't have these," she pulled the bundle of cloth out of her purse and pealed back the fabric to reveal two silver daggers.

"Oh my god," Rebekah stared in awe. "You clever girl. Where did you find them?"

"Under your coffin. Do you have any idea how much that thing weighs?" Cassandra laughed softly as she handed the daggers to Rebekah. "So, now there's nothing stopping you from getting Elijah back."

"No, there isn't," Rebekah's lips curled upward in a devious smirk. "Thank you, Cassandra."

"You're welcome," Cassandra grinned back. They stood up and exchanged a quick hug before Rebekah walked off to put the daggers in a safe place before taking Elijah's rescue into her own hands.

-o-

A warm, feathery sensation against her forehead stirred Cassandra from her slumber the next morning. She blinked her eyes open and found Klaus gazing down at her, smiling as he brushed her hair away from her face.

"Good Morning, sweetheart," he cooed softly. "Or should I afternoon?"

"Wha…afternoon? Mmm...what time is it?" She yawned as she sat up.

"A few minutes past noon," he answered.

"Noon?!" Her eyes widened. "Why'd you let me sleep in so late?"

Chuckling, Klaus lowered himself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed and took her hand into his. He ran his thumb against the top of her hand in small movements. "You seemed especially tired, and I thought it best you got as much rest as necessary."

"Oh. Yeah, this house is like a swamp sauna. Took me forever to fall asleep last night," she murmured.

"I'll have someone see to the air conditioning," he gave her a reassuring smile. "In the meantime, you need to eat, and I just so happen to make a mean omelet."

"As opposed to a nice one?" She couldn't resist cracking the joke. Klaus rolled his eyes as she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Ha ha, very funny. As soon as you're done laughing, why don't you get dressed and meet me in the kitchen," he released her hand and rose to his feet.

"Oh, come on. You totally walked into that one and you know it," she tilted her head to the side. As he reached the door, she called out to him. "Hey. I was wondering about something after a conversation I had with Rebekah last night."

"All right," he turned around and walked back over to the bed. "Go ahead."

"This whole thing with Marcel, the deal you have with the witches, trying to take him down, take what's his, Rebekah told me that you two once loved each other like family. What happened?"

Klaus sighed and sat back down next to her on the edge of the bed. "I made Marcel everything that he is, I treated him like a son, and when my father chased me and my family from New Orleans a hundred years ago, we believed Marcel was killed. We each mourned him in our own way. Yet when I returned, I found not only had he survived, he had thrived. Instead of seeking us out, instead of sticking together as one, he made a choice to take everything my family had built and make it his own. Now he is living in our home. He is sleeping in our beds. That 'M' he stamps everywhere is not for 'Marcel', it's for Mikaelson. I want it all back. And if I have to push him out to get it, then that's exactly what I'll do."

"Klaus I…I had no idea," she whispered, reaching out to cup the side of his face. "With the exception of daggering another sibling, you do whatever you must to take him down and gain control of the city. The last thing I want to do is bring our child into this world when there is a huge supernatural war brewing."

He turned his head and brushed his lips lightly against the palm of her hand. "I intend to, love, and believe me, that is the very last thing I want for our child as well. Now that I've answered your question, am I allowed to leave so I can make you that omelet?"

Chuckling softly, she nodded and dropped her hand to her side. Once he'd left the room she climbed out of bed and, after using the bathroom, changed into a cotton tank top and a comfortable pair of jean shorts. She was surprised to see now snug they fit after fastening the button. As she walked towards the bedroom door, she made a mental note to talk to Rebekah about taking a shopping trip someone in the near future. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she came to an abrupt halt as she stumbled onto Klaus and Rebekah in what was a very heated conversation.

"It's not a what. It's a who, a girl, Davina. She can't be more than sixteen, and I have never felt power like that," Rebekah spoke calmly, but the fear was evident in her eyes.

"A witch," Klaus whispered.

"She's not just any witch. She's something I've never seen before, some beyond powerful, and now because of you, she has Elijah. Who knows what she could do to him."

"What?" Cassandra gasped as she moved to stand beside Klaus. "Elijah is being held hostage by a witch more powerful than Bonnie? Are you kidding me?"

"Where is she?" Klaus asked through a clenched jaw.

Rebekah paused to think about it, then stared back at them dumbfounded. "That clever bitch. I don't know.

A look of concern flashed across Klaus's face. "What's wrong?"

"She wiped my memory of the location." She stepped towards Klaus as this new implication made her anger rise. "Marcel possesses a weapon bigger and more powerful than an original, and _you handed our brother to him!_ How many times will Elijah forgive you? How long until his hope for your redemption finally dies?"

"I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO!" Klaus growled as he followed after Rebekah who had walked off towards the front door, leaving Cassandra at the base of the stairs. "Marcel took our home."

"And our home is worthless…without family," Rebekah stepped towards him. "I am finding Elijah, whatever it takes. Are you going to help me?"

"Whatever it takes," Klaus whispered with the smallest nod of his head.

"Whatever it takes," Cassandra joined them, lacing her fingers through Klaus's hand and reaching for Rebekah's hand to give it a gentle squeeze.


	2. A Witchy Encounter

**Thank you guys so, so much for the incredible feedback on the first chapter of this story. And an extra big thank you to whoever it was that added this story to their community! I'm so elated to know that the first chapter was a huge hit. This one has a lot of fun little moments in it that I know you'll love. With that said, I hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - A Witchy Encounter**

 _'_ _August 1359. I have noticed a difference in my siblings. Our bond strains beneath the pressure of our life as vampires. Each day removes them further from the humanity we once possessed. My sweet sister Rebekah has grown quite indifferent to brutality. However, the true problem remains my brother Niklaus. He continues to hide his loneliness with cruelty. Still, I cling to the hope that I, as their eldest brother, can lead them down the correct path, a path charged with the power of a family united. For if I fail, our family's legacy will end in darkness.'_

Cassandra's eyes moved across the pages of one of Elijah's many journals she'd discovered in his study. She'd been looking for the extensive library he'd enticed her with when they were in Mystic Falls, and after eating the delicious omelet Klaus had made her, she decided to take matters into her own hands and find it on her own. She hadn't expected to come across a trunk full of thick black leather books, all with a giant gold 'M' on the front. Even though she knew it was wrong to invade his privacy, she couldn't pull her eyes away from his beautifully handwritten words. The more she read, the more she wanted to know about him, Klaus, Rebekah, and their lives over the centuries.

She'd taken to sitting crisscrossed on the hardwood floor with the think book resting on her lap as she read page after page. She wondered if Elijah still felt the same way about his siblings six centuries later. Once they got him back, she'd have to ask him about it. She continued to read until she heard Klaus and Rebekah's voices echoing up the stairway. She closed the thick book and clutched it to her chest as she headed down to the foyer to greet them.

"Was I supposed to leave them in the front yard to rot?" Klaus wore a smirk on his face as he leaned against the doorway, his arms folded across his chest, while he looked at his sister. "Besides, they were my responsibility. They attacked Cassandra. You know, the helpless pregnant girl I love who's carrying my child."

"Oh, I am so moved by your newfound sense of fatherly duty towards the girl carrying your hybrid bun in her oven," Rebekah rolled her eyes as Klaus laughed.

Cassandra came in from a different door and stopped once she reached them. "The pregnant girl would like to know what the plan is."

"Well, that depends what plan you mean, love—"Klaus turned toward her with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "—my plan for global domination or Rebekah's plan to find love in a cruel, cruel world."

To show how she felt about what he'd just said, Rebekah grabbed a pencil from the desk she was standing next to and lobbed it at Klaus. He caught it easily with one hand before it could embed itself in his face.

"The plan to rescue Elijah. You know, the noble brother who kept me safe in Mystic Falls and is now in the possession of your mortal enemy after you _stabbed him in the back_ ," Cassandra sighed.

"In the front, if we're being specific," Klaus waved the pencil in his hand as he smirked.

"You know what?" Cassandra's lips parted and her eyes widened at his continued sassy remarks. She stepped towards him, raising the book in her arms to smack him with it. He raised his hands to deflect it, causing her to lightly tap them with the back of the book. They shared a laugh as she lowered her arms back down. "You two said you would get him back. So, is there a plan, or what?"

"Okay," Klaus motioned for Cassandra and Rebekah to follow him as he turned around and walked through the foyer doorway into a small study and sat down at a desk, propping his feet up on the edge of it. "Well, firstly, Marcel is not my mortal enemy. He's my friend, albeit one who is unaware that I am trying to sabotage his hold over the supernatural community of the French Quarter, but a friend nonetheless. And secondly, I daggered Elijah in order to gain Marcel's trust. If I had known he would place my brother in the hands of a particularly nasty teenage witch, I certainly would have weighed my options a bit differently, and thirdly, sister, please."

"And thirdly," Rebekah turned to Cassandra "The plan, as you have demanded, is for Niklaus to simply ask Marcel for Elijah back."

Cassandra slowly shifted her eyes from Rebekah on to Klaus who raised his eyebrows at her. "That's the plan? You're just going to ask for Elijah back? You really think something that simple could actually work?"

"Oh, please," Rebekah chuckled. "Klaus may be a miserable excuse for a sibling, but there is none more diabolical."

"Heh, can't disagree with you there," A smile crept onto Cassandra's face.

"And that's only the Plan A, sweetheart. There's _always_ a Plan B," he smirked.

"What's Plan B?" Cassandra whispered.

Klaus grinned wider. "War."

-o-

Finding herself alone in the mansion once again a little while later, Cassandra headed upstairs to her room and stretched out on her bed as she continued to read Elijah's journal. She didn't realize until her eye fluttered open that she'd fallen asleep while reading. A quick glance at the clock on her phone told her she'd been dozing for about an hour. She wondered if Klaus and Rebekah had returned from the errands they needed to run.

After a quick stop at the bathroom she made her way down stairs and found the doors to the parlor closed. She could hear voices coming from inside and quietly approached the doors to hear them better.

"Are you out of your mind?" She recognized the voice of the witch she was currently linked to, Sophie. "No way."

"It's very simple," Rebekah's voice spoke next. "We need you to perform a teeny, tiny locator spell to help us find our brother."

 _So Marcel refused to give back Elijah. I guess that answers that question,_ Cassandra shook her head.

"Witches who practice magic in this town get caught, and they get killed," Sophie explained what they already knew.

"Yes. About that," Klaus's voice rang out. "It seems you left out a crucial detail when we made our deal—Marcel's secret weapon, the way he knows when a witch is using magic."

 _Sophie, I hope you realize how incredibly lucky you are to be linked to me right now, otherwise you'd be one dead witch right now for leaving out that detail,_ Cassandra mused.

"Girl about yay high, cute as a button, anger issues," Rebekah described the young teen witch under Marcel's protection that she'd had the brief pleasure of meeting.

"Davina?" Cassandra didn't miss the surprise in Sophie's voice. "Where have you seen her?"

"I don't know," Rebekah answered. "The little brat erased my memory right after she threw me out a window with her bloody mind."

"Let me cut to the chase," Klaus interjected. "Davina has Elijah. You witches, I assume, want to get Davina away from Marcel. We don't know where she is. Ergo, we need magic."

"Davina would sense it," Sophie still didn't want to perform the locator spell.

"Unless, of course, another witch—say, a traitor to the cause, Katie, for example—was to perform much more powerful magic at the same time. That would create a smokescreen concealing your very small spell from Davina" Rebekah laid out the rest of the plan.

 _Katie. Why does that name sound familiar? Oh my god. The shopkeeper at that voodoo store. She's the one who told Marcel's minion's about me? Wow._ Cassandra blinked in surprise as she processed this new revelation while she continued to listen on the conversation between Sophie, Rebekah, and Klaus.

"Katie doesn't deserve to die," Sophie spoke calmly.

Klaus slammed his hands on the coffee table, making Cassandra flinch in surprise from her spot on the other side of the closed doors. "Sophie Deveraux…you're in no position to be so principled. You can't win a war without a few strategic losses, no matter how regrettable they may be. How many times have the vampires been one step ahead, known something they shouldn't? Your sister executed in the public square for practicing magic—who knew she'd be caught? Did she even attempt to flee?"

"She was caught hiding in a cargo hold of a freighter before it set sail down the Mississippi," Sophie answered.

Klaus continued to make his point. "And who, pray tell, of Marcel's valued inner circle manages his business at the docks?"

"Katie's boyfriend Thierry," Sophie whispered.

 _Thierry? Well that figures. Once again I am so freaking glad I didn't go to that party Marcel invited me to when we first met. They surely would have found out about my connection to Klaus and his siblings and I'd have wound up being another one of Davina's prisoners. Or worse._ Cassandra shook the terrifying thought out of her mind. With the conversation in the parlor dying down, she scurried back upstairs to her room to continue processing everything she'd learned. She hoped, for Sophie's sake, that this plan worked and they were able to discover where Elijah was being kept.

She sat back down on the bed and absentmindedly flipped through some more pages in Elijah's journal, but she found her mind to distract to read anymore. With a sigh, she closed the leather bound book and picked it up to carry it back to Elijah's study. After putting it back where she'd originally found it, her stomach began to growl, so she headed back downstairs and went into the kitchen to fix a snack.

A little while later she made her way back upstairs and found Klaus sitting at a desk inside a small study. He looked up and flashed her a smile as she approached the desk. Her eyes drifted down to the piece of parchment laid out on top of the desk. She noticed strange symbols on the page, and words in a language she couldn't understand. _That's got to be some kind of spell,_ she realized.

"What are…" She started to speak when his cell phone began to buzz.

"Hold that thought, love," he chuckled as he picked up his phone to see who was calling and put it on speaker phone after answering. "Little sister."

"Well, brother, I believe I've made certain Marcel will be properly distracted tonight," Rebekah spoke with a smugness in her voice.

"Dark I ask?" Klaus carefully picked up the parchment and slipped it inside an envelope.

"Let's just say his attention will not be on us," Rebekah kept her answer vague. "I did my bit. What are you doing to ensure Elijah's safe return?"

"Currently, I'm preparing insurance against the tender-hearted."

"Meaning?"

"We need proper motivation for Katie to cast a powerful spell tonight," he paused to lick the envelope flap and carefully sealed it shut. "I'm creating that motivation. Marcel has ordered a rousting of the witches. I, in turn, have arranged for things to go tragically wrong. Marcel might not be concerned with Thierry's romantic entanglements, but there are other crimes which he'll be less inclined to so easily forgive. Killing a vampire, for example. That would be unforgivable. If Katie hopes to save her one true love from Marcel's punishment, well, a rescue mission like that will require something positively magical. But then, what's worth dying for if not love?"

Cassandra arched a curious eyebrow as he met her eyes with a huge grin on his lips and reached for her hands. He quickly finished up his phone call with Rebekah so that he could turn his attention to Cassandra.

"Now," he effortlessly pulled her down onto his lap. "What was it you were going to say?"

"Well, I was going to ask what you were doing, but you kind of already answered that while you were talking to Rebekah just now," she chuckled. "That's one complex plan you came up with. But then, I'd expect nothing less from the infamous Original Hybrid Klaus Mikaelson."

"And don't you forget it," he beamed. "Actually, I'm glad you came looking for me. Rebekah and I will be attending a charity function that Marcel is hosting tonight. I've made arrangements to have one of the witches come over to keep you company while we are out."

"You got me a babysitter? Seriously?"

"Think of it as more of a bodyguard. Should something happen, the witch will be able to protect you until I am able to get here. Besides, they too have an invested interest in keeping you and our child safe."

"So a babysitter with magic powers then," she rolled her eyes.

Klaus's face softened as he brought a hand up to stroke the side of her face. "I promise I'll make it up to you, love."

"You better," she gazed back at him as her lips slowly curled into a smile.

-o-

"You absolutely have to go to this thing tonight with Rebekah?" Cassandra sat on the edge of Klaus's bed, watching him as he stood in front of a full length mirror tying a black and dark blue checkered tie a few hours later.

"You know I'd much rather stay here with you, love," Klaus's chuckled softly as he completed his Windsor Knot and tucked it into place under the black collar of his dress shirt. He turned around and walked over to the bed where he'd laid out his black suit jacket and slipped it on. "But I can't. There are parts of my plan that only I can execute. Now then..." He paused and moved so he was standing in front of her. "How do I look?"

"How do you look?" She stood with a soft sigh and slowly walked up to him. She ran her fingers over the lapel of his jacket before placing them against his chest. "You look incredibly handsome."

"But not gorgeous?" He smirked.

"Shut up!" She jabbed in playfully in the side. He squirmed and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together so she couldn't poke him again. Smiling, she brought her free hand up to the side of his face and caressed his cheek. "In all seriousness, of course you look gorgeous. You're sure there isn't _anything_ I can do to convince you to skip this party?"

Before he could speak, she leaned in and pressed her lips lightly against his. She let them linger for a couple of seconds before adding a bit more pressure and sucked gently on his bottom lip. She pulled back long enough to steal a glance at his face and could instantly tell that he had enjoyed her kiss. They had been taking things slow since he had arrived in Mystic Falls to bring her back to New Orleans, but she couldn't help enjoying the rush she felt when she acted more aggressively with him regarding her wants and desires. She leaned in like she was going to kiss him again, but at the last second she changed her aim and brushed her lips against his jaw. She left a trail of kisses as she moved her mouth to his neck and began to suck gently on the skin below his ear, allowing her teeth to lightly graze his flesh. "Or at the very least, you can't be a little late? She whispered in a husky voice as she carefully brushed her lips against his earlobe. The next thing she knew, she was laying on the bed with her hands pinned at her sides as Klaus hovered above her, his eyes glowing with a fiery passion that sent an exhilarating chill through her body.

"Well, perhaps I can be a little late," he flashed her a devilish grin and slammed his lips against hers. He released her hands and brought his hands to her sides, moving them up and down while she wrapped her arms around his neck. He slid his hands under her shirt and ran them up and down against her warm skin causing the fabric to gradually move up in the process. She glided her fingers along the back of his head and rocked her hips up against his, earning a delicious grunt of approval in return. She smiled against his lips and moved her hands down to his tie.

"STOP!" Rebekah's booming voice reverberated off the walls in the bedroom, promptly stopping Cassandra from loosening Klaus's tie. They sighed and pulled away from each other as Rebekah stood in the doorway to Klaus's bedroom with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "Nik, need I remind you of the whole point of tonight?"

"I'm coming, Rebekah," he huffed as he untangled himself from Cassandra and climbed off the bed. He quickly fixed his appearance and turned back to Cassandra who was trying her best not to be annoyed by Rebekah's unfortunate interruption. "We will continue this…conversation later, love."

Cassandra nodded, watching as Klaus followed Rebekah out of the room. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When she rolled off the bed she stopped in front of the mirror to straighten out her appearance before heading out of the room and into her room. She grabbed her phone and decided to head out to the pool to get some fresh air.

When she stepped outside and made her way down the steps towards the enclosed pool, she couldn't get over how quiet and peaceful it was. It was almost eerie. _Ugh, I'm all alone in this giant mansion while Klaus and Rebekah are at this big fancy party being thrown by that vampire I told you about, Marcel. This blows,_ she sent a text off to Caroline. With her phone still in her hand, she walked along the side of the pool, smiling at the glow being cast from the water that was illuminated by the pool light. One of these days she was going to have to go for a night swim, preferably before she was really showing. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the soft buzzing of her phone. She held it up and found a reply from Caroline waiting for her. _You have the whole place to yourself? Hello…snoop around! Who knows what kind of goodies they have hidden and when you'll get another opportunity like this._ She shook her head, laughing softly to herself as she began to tap out a reply.

"You're not supposed to be out here," A female voice spoke out causing Cassandra to spin around in the direction it had come from.

"Who are you?" She asked, staring nervously at the newcomer. She had tan skin and dark curly hair.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm Sabine. We met. I'm one of Sophie's friends," the woman flashed Cassandra a warm and friendly smile.

"You're one of the witches," Cassandra realized. "Klaus told me one was coming to keep me company."

"Yes," Sabine nodded. "The child you're carrying is part vampire, part werewolf. You and Klaus made something special, something the world has never, ever seen before. We all want to keep the both of you safe."

"You sound like Elijah, who still hasn't been returned to us. He and Klaus believe this baby is going to make us one big, happy family, which I'd love, but I have a hard time seeing that happening with this stupid war with Marcel over control of the city going on. And, I don't even know what," she paused and placed a hand on her stomach as she glanced down momentarily. " _it_ is."

"You know, I can do something about that if you want, I mean find out if it's a boy or girl," Sabine offered.

Cassandra stared at her with a confused expression on her face. "I thought you couldn't do magic around here because you'd get caught by Marcel."

Sabine shook her head as a small smile spread across her lips. "It's not magic, just an old trick my grandmother taught me."

"It's accurate?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"It's been right every time," Sabine nodded. "Come on. You have to be a little curious."

Cassandra nodded and allowed Sabine to lead her back into the house. They went into the kitchen where Sabine had Cassandra lay on top of the counter while she held a crystal attached to a string over her stomach. They both watched in anticipation as the crystal slowly began to move on its own in a round, clockwise circle.

"I think it's a girl," Sabine smiled.

"A girl? Really?" Cassandra's heart swelled at the news of having a daughter.

"No, wait," Sabine stared at the crystal.

"Wait, what? Please don't say I'm having a mini Klaus. I think one Klaus is more than enough for this world."

Sabine let out a loud gasp and dropped it as she tipped her head back. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she began chanting in latin. " _Hoc est infatima malom. Nos omnia perdetu el eam."_

Cassandra couldn't understand the words Sabine repeated over and over, but she was able to use her phone to record them so she could figure out the translation later. When Sabine came out of it, she acted as though nothing had happened, but Cassandra had a feeling the dark haired witch had remembered everything. She knew a little bit about how witchy visions and possession worked, thanks to Bonnie, but Sabine didn't know that.

After she climbed off the counter, Cassandra took to hanging out in the foyer with Sabine for a little while, until a phone call caused the witch to rush out of the mansion in a hurry. Cassandra raced upstairs and stopped by her room to grab her earbuds and laptop before heading into Elijah's huge study. She figured there was bound to be a book that would help her decipher the strange words Sabine had spoken while in a trance. She browsed the shelves while she waited for her laptop to boot up. She grabbed a couple of Latin textbooks, deciding to start with her gut instinct. She set them down on the desk beside her laptop and sat down in the chair. She pulled up a blank word document, plugged her earbuds into her phone and slipped them into her ears, then pressed play on the short recording she'd made. She listened to it and typed up the words she heard to the best of her ability. She repeated the process over and over, making corrections to sounds as the words became more familiar with each play through.

" _'_ _Hoc est infantima malom. Nos omnia perdetu el eam.'_ " she read aloud a while later. "Yeah, that sounds right. Now the fun part. Figuring out what it means."

She pulled up her web browser and went to an online translation website, coping the text she'd typed out into the proper box and selected 'English' for the target language and 'Latin' for the source. She hovered the mouse cursor over the translate button and held her breath as she clicked on it. _This infant is evil. It will destroy us all.'_ Flashed back at her on the screen. "Seriously? Well, that's just...awesome." Cassandra sighed heavily. No way was she going to repeat this to Klaus or Rebekah or...anyone. She refused to accept that her child was going to turn out being this crazy evil being, and she certainly didn't want to give Klaus anything new to worry about.

"You are not evil," she stared down at her stomach as she placed a hand on it. She heard footsteps coming down the hall and quickly switched to a pregnancy related website. She leaned back in the chair as Klaus walked into the room.

"There you are. You'll be happy to know Elijah is returning to us," he smiled as he walked up to the desk.

Cassandra glanced up at him, a smile of her own tugging at her lips. "Good. Being diabolical does have its perks." She paused and lowered her eyes back to the screen. "I'm glad our daughter will be able to know her noble Uncle Elijah."

When she stole another fleeting glance at Klaus, she could see the surprise all over his face, followed by unmistakable joy.

"It's a girl?" He whispered as he stared at her in awe.

"Uh huh," she grinned. "Well, according to this little trick Sabine did. She said her grandmother taught her, and it's never been proven to be incorrect so..yeah. We're having a girl."

Words seemed to fail Klaus, so instead he walked around the desk and leaned down towards her, kissing her softly on the lips. "There aren't enough words in the English language to describe how happy I am."

"I think I've got a fairly good idea of what you mean," she laughed as she gazed up at him.

* * *

Sophie knelt down next to the tomb where her fallen friend Katie lay. Katie was the collateral damage in Klaus's plan, killed by his hand. She looked peaceful as she lay there in a white gown while Sophie waved a smoking bundle of sage over her in preparation for Katie's consecration. A group of witches surrounding them looked on. Among them were Agnes, the witch who had been responsible for providing nourishment to Cassandra while she was held captive in the Bayou, and Sabine.

"I told you no good would come from this unholy alliance of yours," Agnes stared at Sophie in dismay.

Sophie turned and glared at her before slowly rising to her feet. "At least I'm doing something. What about you?" It was a rhetorical question, one Sophie asked with a voice full of contempt. When Agnes remained silent, Sophie marched away having made her point loud and clear.

"Sabine," Agnes turned to the younger witch standing beside her. "Tell them what you saw."

Sabine was silent for a long moment before she finally turned to the other witches and began to speak. "It's the girl. The hybrid baby she carries—it will be the end of us all."


	3. Caught In The Line Of Fire

**Oh my gosh, you guys! I am astounded by the response to the last chapter! It makes me so happy to know that you love Cassandra and Klaus as much as I do. Thank you so much for that. I'm really excited about this chapter because it's the first of many exciting, action packed moments that will be in the story. You'll also recognize some familiar faces making their first appearances in this story, so keep your eyes pealed for them. With that said, enjoy the crazy ride, and to all my fellow Americans (or anyone else who's celebrating) have a wonderful, Happy Thanksgiving! (PS. I'm so thankful for all of you guys, my loyal readers, favoriters, and followers. You are all awesome!)**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Caught In The Line of Fire**

"I told you, Agnes, I feel great," Cassandra looked up as she flipped a page in the pregnancy book she was reading that Rebekah had generously picked up for her the previous day. She sat on a big chair facing Agnes who had stopped by to see her.

"You are overdue for a checkup," Agnes tried to reason with her on going to see a doctor.

"What am I gonna do? Pop into the Quarter for a quick ultrasound of my werewolf-vampire hybrid baby? Escorted by a witch? That's not going to attract unwanted attention at all," Cassandra scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I know a doctor out in the Bayou, off the beaten path. Now, I took the liberty of making an appointment for you tonight, after hours. Just us," Agnes pressed on. "Vampires will never get word of it."

Cassandra bit her lip as she thought it over and stole a glance over at Rebekah. The Original Vampire was sitting at the couch in front of Cassandra's laptop, working on a search that she hoped would lead her to the attic where Marcel was holding Elijah hostage.

"What about Klaus?" Cassandra asked her.

"Don't worry, I'll handle him." Rebekah waved her off, keeping her eyes glued to the laptop screen in front of her. "Go and get checked out.

Seeing she was out numbered, Cassandra sighed as she reluctantly gave in. "Okay, fine. Bayou doctor it is." She got up from the couch and slipped upstairs to freshen up and grab her phone before leaving with Agnes.

Shortly after they'd left, Klaus came waltzing into the parlor where Rebekah remained glued to the laptop. "Please, sister, tell me you're not still at it with the internet search. How does one begin anyway, just type in 'anonymous attic'?"

"Someone has to find Elijah, even if I have to search every bloody attic in New Orleans," Rebekah replied without looking up as Klaus poured himself a glass of bourbon."

"Like looking for a needle in a rather large pile of needles," his lips curled into an amused smile as he brought the glass he held up to his lips and took a drink.

"I remember details about the attack Marcel took me to," Rebekah's fingers raced across the keyboard keys, typing in another search query. "There were shutters on the windows behind Elijah's coffin."

"Well, that should narrow it down immensely," Klaus walked over and sat down in a chair positioned across from Rebekah. "Myself, I prefer actual strategy as opposed to mind-numbing labor. Marcel's delay in returning our brother makes me suspect he's no longer in charge of the situation. If Davina's loyalty to Marcel is strained, perhaps the young witch will be open to discussing a new alliance."

Rebekah stared at him unimpressed. "As usual, your power grabs are more important than rescuing your brother. I wonder what Cassandra would have to say about that."

"I prefer to think of it as killing two birds with one stone," Klaus smirked. "Rob Marcel of his secret weapon, bring our brother home. As for Cassandra, she's already given me her blessing to do whatever I must to gain control of the city, short of daggering any of my siblings."

"Of course she has," Rebekah scoffed, shaking her head.

-o-

A man wearing a black t-shirt and worn pair of black jeans held a rag in his hand as he leaned over and carefully picked up a gold censer stand that had been knocked over, setting it upright beside the altar on the stage at the front of the run-down church. The once holy place hadn't been used in months, after a horrific tragedy set all who walked through the doors running for the hills without ever looking back. The only person who remained was the priest, the man dressed in a black shirt and jeans, who sought to do what he could to maintain the integrity of the church.

As he straightened out the tall censer, the sound of footsteps approaching drew his attention. He turned his head and found a young woman with platinum blonde hair walking down the center aisle.

"Church is closed," the priest called out as turned his attention back to what he was working on. "You want your horror fix, go take a ghost tour."

"I don't much care for ghosts. I am, however, fascinated by window shutters," Rebekah slowly began to make her way down the aisle towards the priest. "I've been on a town tour of them all day. I noticed the windows of your attic have shutters."

"Are you really interested in shutters?" The priest sighed, walking down the steps of the stage to meet her.

"I can assure you it's my current life obsession," Rebekah answered as the priest bent over to pick up a hymnal laying in the aisle and tossed on a nearby pew. "What's your name?"

"Father Kieran," he folded his arms. "And you are?"

"Mildly curious," Rebekah remained vague. She turned to stare at a wall with an eerie looking stain dripping down it. "What happened here?"

Father Kieran exhaled softly. The answer to her question wasn't something he was fond of talking about. "St. Anne's used to be the heart of the neighborhood. It's been abandoned for a while now since the night of the massacre. Nine seminary students were killed by one of their own. You're standing on blood."

Rebekah stared at him with determination in her eyes. "I'm not squeamish. Where's the attic?"

"Like I said, the church is closed."

Rebekah stepped closer to him and began to compel him as she repeated her question.

"Past the sacristy up the stairs," he answered in a trance-like voice."

"Thank you," she smiled. "Now forget I was here."

She quickly walked around him and made her way through the rest of the church until she reached the stairs. She climbed to the top and slowly opened the door leading into the attic. Her eyes immediately landed on a four-poster canopy bed in the corner, and a brown coffin on the floor with half of the lid raised open, revealing her daggered older brother inside of it, placed in the center of the large room.

"I knew it," Rebekah murmured in triumph. She tried to step through the doorway and was immediately blocked by an invisible barrier. She stared at her incapacitated brother, wondering how on earth she was going to rescue him, when his eyes slowly opened.

He stared directly at her, and in a flash, Rebekah found herself transported back in time to the late eighteen hundreds. She wore a fancy dress and had her hair curled and pinned up in a formal updo.

"What the bloody hell?" She looked around, utterly confused.

"Rebekah, language, please," the familiar voice of her older brother, Elijah, playfully rebuked her. She turned around and found in standing a few feet away in a nineteenth century style suit, with a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Elijah!" She cried out and ran towards him, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. After he hugged her back, she slowly pulled away and looked around. "What is all this?"

"You don't remember? You and I went to the opera house together," he offered his gloved hand to her. She placed her hand on top of his and allowed him to guide her along through the courtyard they were standing in. "It was your first foray back into New Orleans society after Niklaus removed the dagger from you. It's a memory that only you and I share. Also I need you to know it's not another of Davina's tricks."

"Well, how are you even awake?" Rebekah turned toward him after they passed under an archway into a dimly lit corridor.

"Davina withdrew the dagger, unaware that doing so even once would negate it's power. In a few hours I should be as good as new," he turned and began to walk over to another section of the covered corridor where a table with a crystal decanter and tumbler set had been placed.

"So put me back into the attic, and we can find a way to get you out," Rebekah demanded. Her words stopped Elijah, prompting him to turn around.

"I'm afraid I'm not quite ready to leave yet, Rebekah. This girl, Davina, she's curious," he turned back toward the table, pulling the stopper out of the crystal decanter and poured himself and Rebekah a drink. 'Willful, too. Soon I shall be able to speak to her, perhaps even to propose a truce of some kind, so if we can end this war between the vampires and the witches, we'll be able to eliminate the threat to Cassandra and her baby. Perhaps then she, Niklaus, and our entire family can finally know peace." He walked back over to Rebekah and handed her one of the glasses. "In the meantime, I need you to continue looking after Cassandra. She is our family now, Rebekah, so I need her and her unborn child to fall underneath our protection. Swear to me, Rebekah."

She blinked and found herself back in the attic, staring at the coffin where Elijah lay. "I swear," Rebekah answered in a firm voice.

* * *

Cassandra stared out of the passenger side window as Agnes' sedan rolled to a stop in front of the Bayou health clinic. The outline of the tall trees against the dark night sky cast an eeriness around the place. Even though it was a warm night, a shiver still ran up Cassandra's spine.

"This is the doctor's office?" She turned toward Agnes, her eyes full of skepticism. _It looks like something out of a horror flick,_ she stared ahead at the red structure.

"Dr. Paige is only this far out because Marcel's men kept terrorizing her patients. Go. She won't bite," Agnes tried to reassure her.

Cassandra gave a slow nod of her head and opened the door to climb out of the car. Once she shut the door and started to walk up the steps to the entrance, Agnes pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number before placing it against her ear.

"Send them in now, and tell them to do it quickly," she spoke into the phone, keeping her eyes glued to Cassandra as she pulled the door to the clinic open and went inside.

The waiting room was small and consisted of a few wooden chairs and a small basket of magazines. Cassandra bit her lip nervously as she crept towards the counter. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the door leading to the back exam room opened and a blonde haired woman wearing a sky blue blouse and beige slacks walked out into the waiting room.

"I'm Dr. Paige. Are you Cassandra?" She asked in a warm and friendly voice.

"Ye.." Cassandra paused and cleared her throat. "Yes. That's me."

"Great. Follow me, please," the doctor motioned with her hand.

She lead Cassandra to the main part of the clinic and had her sit down on the examining table. After checking all of her vitals, she instructed Cassandra to pull up her shirt and lie back. She picked up a tube on a nearby table and squeezed a good sized amount of gel on to Cassandra's exposed stomach. She replaced the tube on the table and picked up a handheld apparatus with a spiral cord connecting a flat ended wand to it. She turned the apparatus on and placed the flat end against Cassandra's stomach where the gel was.

At first, all that could be heard was loud static. The doctor moved the wand around a little until the sound changed and a fast thumping could be heard.

"Is that..." Cassandra's eyes widened in awe.

"Your baby's heartbeat? Yes it is," Dr. Paige smiled.

"Wow," Cassandra whispered. It was the most incredible sound she'd ever heard! She could hardly wait to call her mom and sister up to tell them about it.

"It's perfect, right where it should be," Dr. Paige announced as she removed the wand from Cassandra's stomach and handed her a tissue to wipe off the gel. Cassandra took it and sat up to clean up her stomach while the doctor walked over to the counter to set down the fetal heart monitor.

"That's it, right? We're pretty much done here?" Cassandra asked once she'd pulled her shirt back down and swung her legs back over the side of the table. As thrilled as she was about getting to hear the baby's heartbeat, she couldn't wait to get out of there. The place still gave her the heebie jeebies.

"Your blood pressure's a bit high," Dr. Paige answered as Cassandra's phone buzzed from inside her back pocket. "I've got something for it."

Cassandra nodded and pulled out her phone as the doctor walked out of the room. She had a new text from Rebekah. _Where are you?_ She quickly typed out a reply and sent it back. _Bayou clinic with doctor._

She hopped off the table and slipped her phone back into her pocket. As she walked over to throw the tissue she'd used to wipe off her stomach into the trash can that was against the wall next to a window, she looked out and saw the bright headlights of an approaching car. She turned back to the open door and found the doctor having a quiet conversation with Agnes out in the waiting room. She could see the same car headlights through the window behind them and began to get an uneasy feeling.

Dr. Paige finished conversing with Agnes and came back into the exam room with two small paper cups in her hand. One contained some pills, the other had water.

"Uh, you know, I'm..I'm actually not that good at swallowing pills," Cassandra shook her head as she glanced down. It was a fib, but she wasn't about to take any chances with whatever it was the doctor wanted to give her.

"Well, heh, me neither, truth be told," Dr. Paige chuckled nervously and walked over to the counter.

The door to the clinic opened with a loud creak, prompting Cassandra to steal a glance over at it. She saw a big, muscular guy walk up to Agnes, talking softly. She was certain something was up now. Her suspicions were confirmed when she turned back to the doctor and saw her coming at her with a syringe in her hand.

All Cassandra could think about was protecting her unborn baby. Before the doctor could get close enough to use the syringe, Cassandra swung at her face with the heel of her right hand as hard as she could. As the doctor brought her free hand up to her now bleeding nose, Cassandra kneed her in the gut and grabbed the doctor's other hand which held the syringe, jabbing the needle in the doctor's neck and pushing down the plunger. The doctor fell to the floor with a loud moan and passed out from whatever was she was injected with. The noise from their scuffle caught the attention of the man who'd been talking to Agnes. Cassandra rushed towards the door as he stared to move towards it, slamming it shut and bolting the lock before he could get inside.

With no time to waste, she spun around and ran over to the window. The humidity made it hard to open. She glanced over her shoulder as she pushed up as hard as she could. The door jiggled as the men on the other side banged against it. Finally, the window gave and slid up, allowing her to crawl through it right as the door was kicked open. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her into the woods of the Bayou.

* * *

Dauphine Street buzzed with excitement as people hung around partying after the music festival that had gone on earlier in the night. Among those people out on the street was father Kieran. He had changed out of his t-shirt and jeans and was now wearing his clerical attire. He walked with a purpose, clearly searching for someone.

"Marcel," he called out when he finally spotted the person he'd been seeking.

Marcel's head snapped in the direction he'd heard his name come from. He stared in surprise at the priest who walked towards him. "Father Kieran, welcome back. I wasn't sure when you'd be coming home."

"I can tell," Father Kieran rested his hands on his hips as he came to a stop in front of the New Orleans vampire. "Judging by what's going on in my church attic."

"Oh, I didn't think you'd mind," Marcel's smile showed his lack of worry over being found out. "Lord knows, I'd done _you_ a favor or two."

Father Kieran lowered his voice as he continued to speak. "I take it you know the Originals have returned. The sister, Rebekah, I saw her earlier, snooping around the church, asking about the attic. She doesn't know I take vervain. You got a problem on your hands."

"No disrespect for the grieving process, for you and your church," Marcel continued to smile politely as he spoke. "but just so I know, are you here to help, or are you just gonna drop in with more criticism?"

Father Kieran looked down as he laughed coldly at Marcel's insinuation. He stepped forward and spoke in a low voice. "Never forget, Marcel, that you live in this city by the grace of those who know your secret and tolerate you."

"And this city _thrives_ because of me and my people. Anytime you need a reminder of _that_ just let me know," Marcel gave a cocky shake of his head. Before Father Kieran could say anything else, Josh, Klaus's secret informant, came up to let Marcel know that the vampire's Marcel had keeping an eye on Davina who'd been in attendance with Cami at the festival, didn't have eyes on her anymore. Marcel took off in a heartbeat to track her down with Josh, leaving a slightly stunned Father Kieran behind him.

* * *

Cassandra ran until her lungs screamed for air, forcing her to stop and catch her breath. She threw herself behind a big tree and leaned against it for support as she took deep breaths. She could feel her heart pounding inside of her chest as her adrenaline pumped through her veins. She quickly pulled her phone out of her back pocket and hissed softly when she discovered she was in a dead zone. She stuffed it back into her pocket and looked around for any sign of her attackers.

A twig snapped, making her jump and press her back against the tree. She was afraid to look for fear of giving herself away. Her sense of flight was about to kick in again, when the face of someone she never expected to see poked around from another tree a couple yards in front of her.

"Hayley?" She whispered with a wide eyed look on her face.

"Sshhh," Hayley put a finger to her lips. Cassandra nodded and clamped her mouth shut. A second later, the group of men that were after her came running past the tree she was hidden behind. She watched in awe as Hayley waited until they'd all passed to make her move and began taking them down one by one.

When she thought Hayley had incapacitated all of her attackers, Cassandra started to step away from the tree she'd been behind. Out of nowhere, a big, burly black man stood in front of her. She prepared to scream for Hayley, but she needn't have worried. There was a loud cracking sound followed by the man slumping to the floor. Behind him stood Rebekah who'd managed to arrive and snap his neck before anything else could have happened.

"Rebekah!" Cassandra cried out in relief as she ran over to the original vampire. "How did you find me?"

"Your text got me half way, vamp hearing did the rest," Rebekah answered. "Who are they?"

"I don't know. Witches. Friends of Agnes'."

"Well, whoever they are, there are more coming," Hayley walked over to where they stood.

"Oh my god, Hayley!" Cassandra had almost forgotten about her. She rushed over to the brunette werewolf."What it god's name are you doing in the Bayou?"

"Good to see you too, Cass," Hayley grinned. "We can catch up more later. Right now, you need to get out of here."

"Run!" Rebekah yelled at Cassandra as the second group of witches closed in on them. Cassandra didn't need to be told twice. She bolted deeper into the woods.

"If I had a dollar for every mess my family's gotten me into," Rebekah sighed as she watched Cassandra take off. She turned back towards the oncoming witches and groaned as an arrow hit her in the chest. She moaned as she fell to the ground.

"REBEKAH!" Cassandra cried out as she saw her friend go down.

"Cass go!" Hayley shooed her away as an arrow hit her in the stomach. She collapsed to the ground in a heap.

Before Cassandra could take another step she was hit in the chest by an arrow. She grabbed her chest as the wind was knocked out of her. She stared down at the arrow sticking out of her, then looked up at the figures walking towards her. Everything quickly became a blur, and before she knew it, she'd passed out on the ground.

-o-

Rebekah groaned and coughed as she came to on the ground in the woods. She pulled out the two arrows that she'd been shot with and slowly sat up. She looked around and discovered the bodies of the second group of witches lying all around her had been horrendously mauled by something.

"What the hell?" she gasped as she took in the scene before her. Panic started to flood her when she realized she didn't see Cassandra anywhere. "Cassandra? Cassandra?"

She scrambled to her feet and looked around, but she saw no sign of the blonde human anyway. Knowing what she had to do, she dug her phone out of her jacket pocket and dialed her brother's number. "Nik, it's Cassandra. She's missing."

"What do you mean she's missing?" Klaus growled. He stood on the balcony at St. Ann's Church after a conversation he'd had with Davina hadn't gone as planned.

"What do you think I mean? There's blood and bodies everywhere. Someone's ripped this lot to shreds, and there's no blonde pregnant girl," Rebekah did nothing to mask the worry in her voice.

"Keep looking. I'm on my way," Klaus ordered.

After hanging up with her brother, Rebekah slipped her phone back into her pocket and vamp-sped back to the Bayou Clinic, hoping to find answers leading to Cassandra's whereabouts there. She cautiously walked through the front door and made her way through the waiting room. She was quick to notice the door to the exam room had been kicked in. When she walked through the doorway, her eyes landed on the doctor laying passed out on the floor. The used syringe lay beside her. She stepped closer to the doctor's body, then turned back towards the door she'd just entered when she felt the sudden presence of someone else in the room, finding herself face to face with Klaus.

"Well, you abandoned your quest for power to help out your family. Having an off day?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Who took her, Rebekah?" Klaus spoke in a calm voice.

"I don't know," she answered.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Klaus stepped towards her with a glare on his face. "Then who killed her attackers?"

"I don't know. I had an arrow in my heart. We know she didn't kill them, and it wasn't me, so then who—" Rebekah was cut off by the sound of wolves howling in the distance. Klaus eyed her curiously. "Lovely. Perhaps your distant cousins twice or thrice removed will know where she is."

They turned around and headed back outside to continue searching for Cassandra.

-o-

Something warm and wet batted at Cassandra's eyes and nose. At first, she hadn't even realized she was regaining consciousness until she'd noticed the strange sensation. She moaned softly as she blinked her eyes open and found the face of a dark gray and white wolf staring back at her with bright amber yellow eyes. She gasped in surprise and tried to shoot up to a sitting position, but a sudden rush of pain in her chest kept her flat on her back. She looked down and realized she still had the arrow in her chest. She took a few big breaths before yanking it out with a loud groan as quickly as she could and tossed it to the side. After a few seconds had passed and the pain subsided she slowly sat up and looked around. She realized immediately that she had no idea where she was.

She stared at the wolf again, well aware from the amber eyes that she was in the presence of no ordinary wolf, but a werewolf instead, and was amazed that it wasn't attacking her. Normally she'd try to understand the reason why, but her brain was too muddled to think hard about much of anything at the moment.

The wolf calmly approached her and began to gently nudge her in the side, wanting her to get up. She used what energy she had left and climbed to her feet. She took a moment to dust herself off and sighed at the noticeable tears in her shirt. Was she dragged? Did the wolf drag her to safety while she was unconscious? She had no idea, but she couldn't come up with any other explanation for it, and she was too exhausted to try.

The wolf gave a soft whine, pulling her from her thoughts. She stared at it and watched as it began to walk south. After a few feet, it stopped and turned back to look at her. Her sense was it wanted her to follow, so she began to walk in the same direction. She remembered she had her phone in her back pocket and pulled it out, but it was useless without a signal.

As she put it back in her pocket and looked at the path in front of her, she realized the wolf was no longer in front of her. She looked around frantically as panic began to rise inside of her. She felt what little hope she'd had to begin with slip away when she found herself alone, until she saw the back end of a big van a few yards up ahead. She wandered towards it, and felt relief flood her body when the red Bayou Clinic on the other side of the van came into view. She looked around, wishing she could find the wolf so she could thank it for leading her back, but it was long gone. She let out a big breath and shuffled on past the van right as Rebekah and Klaus came racing out of the clinic entrance. They stared at her in surprise before rushing up to meet her.

"Cassandra, what happened? Tell me what happened," Klaus asked as he came to a stop in front of her, his eyes full of worry.

"I can't remember," Cassandra answered slowly. "It's all kind of a blur."

"That's…" Klaus trailed off when he noticed the bloody spot on her shirt. He moved the fabric around looking for a wound, and was surprised when he found none. "You've completely healed. There's not a scratch on you."

"What?" Cassandra blinked in surprise and stared down at her chest. "There was an arrow in me. I just pulled out like…a few minutes ago. How could it heal already?"

"I don't know," Klaus murmured. "It should not have healed that fast."

"It's the baby," Rebekah realized. "The vampire blood, Klaus's blood in your system, it can heal any wound. Your own child healed you."

Klaus gazed down at Cassandra's stomach with a bewildered smile on his face. He reached out and placed his hand gently against her midsection. "That's my good littlest wolf, protecting her mother."

"How did you escape?" Rebekah wanted to know. "There is no way you fought them off on your own. Those men were ripped to shreds!"

Klaus removed his hand from Cassandra's stomach and guided her over to the front steps of the clinic where he helped her sit down. "Please, sweetheart. Try to remember."

"I…I don't…wait. There was a wolf. A werewolf. It had amber eyes like yours and Tyler's. I think it protected me. It helped me find my way back here."

"The witches were supposed to protect you!" he growled. "When I get my hands on Sophie Deveraux—"

"It wasn't Sophie," Cassandra interrupted him. "It was Agnes."

"Fine. Agnes, Sophie. It's all the same to me. I'll slaughter the lot of them."

"Not if Elijah gets there first," Rebekah challenged her brother's taunting threat.

"And not before unlinking me from Sophie," Cassandra added. It took a second for Rebekah's words to fully register in her mind. When they did, she turned her head toward the Original Vampire, staring in surprise. "Wait…you just said Elijah? So you found him?"

"He's been in touch, and he has a plan," she shifted her gaze between Cassandra and Klaus. "All he asked is that we take care of you."

"Oh," Cassandra murmured and nodded her head. That was a relief. "That's good. So, uh, can we go now? I'd really love to take a shower and sleep for a few days."

Klaus nodded and stood up so that he could offer his hand to help her up. She took it and allowed him to pull her up to her feet. When she stepped forward, a wave of exhaustion made her stumble. Klaus quickly caught her in his arms and lifted her off the ground, holding her bridal style.

"I've got you love," he cooed softly. "I've got you."

"Mmm…thanks," she sighed barely above a whisper as she clung to his shoulders and buried her face against his neck.


	4. Deception, Thy Name is Sophie

**I hope those of you who celebrated had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week. I know I did. In this chapter you'll get to see a little bit of how the pregnancy is affecting Cassandra physically and emotionally. There's also a tie in to the goings on back in Mystic Falls. I'll be continuing to do this as things pertain to Cassandra throughout the story. Anyway, thank you as always for the incredible feedback. I really am having the time of my life writing this. You guys are the best! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - Deception, Thy Name is Sophie**

The sun cast a soft glow through the window into the large suite. Curled up in bed, Cassandra buried her face in her pillow as she fought to hold onto the last remnants of sleep that were trickling away. When she finally succumbed to being fully awake, she rolled onto her back and let out a deep sigh as she opened her eyes.

"Morning, love," Klaus appeared in the doorway, most likely having heard her stir with his vampire hearing.

"Hey," she flashed him a small smile as he walked in and made his way over to the bed. "Did I dream that you drew up a bath for me last night, helped me undress and get into the tub, then helped me get out and get dressed and get into bed? Or did that really happen?"

"Yes to all the above," he chuckled as he sat next to her on the edge of the bed.

"That actually happened?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Is really so hard to believe that I'd willingly take care of you in such a way?" He arched his eyebrows.

"No, I just…" she paused as she searched for the right words to say. "I'm just surprised, that's all. And incredibly touched."

He smiled and reached for her hand, bringing it up to his lips to kiss the back of it gently. "I'm happy to hear that. Now, I need to ask you something. I realize you've not been awake long, but it can't wait.

"Okay," she nodded and sat up, ready to listen and answer his question.

"Would you happen to know why the witches decided to turn their backs on the deal we made and attack you?" He asked in a calm, low voice. She knew in that moment that she was going to have to tell him about Sabine's stupid vision.

"Yeah," she sighed softly. "I believe I do. Hand me my phone?"

He reached for it on the nightstand and unplugged it from the wall charger before handing it to her. She brought the screen to life and pulled up the short recording she'd made a couple of nights ago when Sabine had the vision.

"Something…weird happened the other night when Sabine was over," she started to explain what had happened. "She had this…well, I guess the right word to use would be vision. She was speaking in a different language and appeared to be in some kind of trance. I was able to record a little bit of it on my phone."

She made sure the volume was turned up and hit play. She watched as Klaus listened carefully to Sabine's recorded voice. His face contorted into an angry scowl. She figured he could easily understand what the Latin words the witch had said meant.

"And why didn't you tell me about this that night? Hmm? Why keep it to yourself?"

"First I didn't know what she was saying until I figured out the translation. And second, well, I…I was scared okay? While I refuse to believe that our daughter will grow up to become this deadly, evil being, I wasn't sure you'd be so quick to jump on that boat with me, and I knew you'd be angry and I just…I wanted to avoid all of that," she hung her head.

"Weren't you the one who said, and I quote, 'families don't keep each other in the dark when it comes to things like threats. Families communicate _._ Families trust each other no matter what.'?" He arched his eyebrows.

Cassandra groaned as she fell back against her pillow. "Ugh. Yes. I did. I get it, okay? You're right. I should have told you. I just turned myself into a stupid hypocrite."

"I forgive you, love." He chuckled as he pulled her back up to a sitting position and caressed her face with his hand. "Just wanted to make a point. It's easier said than done is it not? Even when we have the best intentions."

"Yeah," Cassandra nodded. "It definitely is."

"In any case, now that I know more, I'd like to have a little chat with Sophie Deveraux to see what light she can shed on this situation. I'll see you downstairs," he leaned in and pecked her on the lips before getting up from the bed and leaving the room.

After waiting a beat, Cassandra crawled out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom. She reemerged a couple of minutes later and went over to the dresser to pull out some clothes to change into. She selected a pair of denim shorts and quickly put them on. When she went to fasten the button, she found she was unable to do so and stared down at her waist in horror. She shuffled over to the full length mirror positioned next to the dresser and turned sideways to look at her stomach. Holding her shirt up with one hand, she ran her other hand along her skin.

"Oh my god," she gasped as her fingers grazed over the small beginnings of a bump under her naval. She stared at her reflection and could barely see the faint outline where the bump was. When she turned and stared at the mirror straight on, she could no longer notice the bump. "Won't be much longer now before it becomes incredibly obvious that I'm with child."

She grabbed her phone from her bed and quickly snapped a picture of her tiny bump to send to Caroline and her mom before changing into her favorite pair of worn jeans that still fit. She put on a cotton tank top ran a brush through her hair so she wouldn't look like she'd just crawled out of bed.

Before leaving the room she grabbed her phone from the bed where she'd left it. As she picked it up, it started to buzz in her hand. She looked at the screen and saw she had an incoming call from a number she didn't recognize. She tapped the button to answer it and slowly brought it up to her ear.

"Hello?" She spoke politely into the phone.

"Cass? It's Hayley," the familiar voice of Tyler's werewolf friend who had come to Cassandra's rescue in the Bayou the night before spoke from the other end of the phone call. "Tyler gave me your number. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Hayley, hey!" Cassandra was relieved to hear her voice as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I'm okay. I think a werewolf saved me and helped me find my way back to the clinic where Klaus and Rebekah were searching for me."

"That was Jackson. He's a friend. Sort of. I met him a little over a month ago. He knew my parents, my real parents," Hayley explained. There was a hint of sadness in her voice that didn't go unnoticed by Cassandra, but she didn't press it. "Anyway, he knows you're a friend of mine, which is why he was willing to help you."

"Wow," Cassandra gasped in awe. "Please tell him thank you for me."

"I will. Listen, there's another reason I was calling. Um," Hayley paused to get her thoughts sorted. "I know I don't have any right to ask you for help considering…"

"Considering the last time we saw each other was when I caught you and Klaus about to hook up at his mansion," Cassandra finished. She chuckled lightly to show she wasn't mad. "It's fine, Hayley. Klaus and I weren't together at the time. He was free to be with whomever he wanted."

"Well, I'm glad you stopped it from happening. It coulda been me knocked up with his kid," Hayley shuddered at the thought.

"Good point. So what is it you need my help with? Ask away."

"Okay," Hayley paused and took a deep breath. "So, here's the thing. I recently found out I'm descended from a prominent werewolf bloodline that used to have a lot of power in New Orleans. In 1992, a vampire named Marcel killed most of them."

"Marcel? God, his name keeps popping up almost as much as Klaus's." Cassandra shook her head.

"You know who he is?" Hayley was surprised to hear this.

"I met him once about a month ago. It was pretty random. He has a history with the Mikaelsons, and apparently he's been controlling New Orleans for way longer than I ever realized. So what happened to those who survived?"

"Marcel had a witch put a curse on them. You know how werewolves turn on every fool moon? Well, this curse makes them remain in their wolf form except on the full moon, when they become human. After that, they go back to being wolves until the next full moon. It's been this way for twenty years."

"Oh my god. That's horrible!" Cassandra's eyes widened in horror.

"I was hoping that you'd be able to find out who the witch that cursed them was. All we need is someone from that witch's bloodline. They're the only ones who can break it," Hayley explained with sadness in her voice. "I thought since you're surrounded by ancient vampires maybe you could pick their brains about it. Or keep your eyes and ears open at least."

"Absolutely. I'll see what I can find out." Cassandra quickly agreed to help. There was no way she wasn't going to not help Hayley and her pack after the way they'd saved her from the witches in the Bayou. She owed them not only her life, but the life of her unborn baby, and this was the perfect way to repay them.

"Thank you, Cass. I can't tell you how much this means to me, and to them," Hayley gushed.

"Hey, you guys saved me and my baby. I totally owe you, and this is the least I can do. I promise I won't let you or your pack down," Cassandra tried to give her as much reassurance as she could. "Should I call you back on this number whenever I learn something?"

"Yep. That's my cell. Thanks again, Cass. Really."

"Got it. And you're welcome."

Cassandra smiled to herself as she ended the phone call and slipped her phone into her back pocket, glad she and Hayley were finally able to talk and clear the air. She was relieved to know she had allies in the Bayou. She hoped she'd be able to find out who the witch was that cursed them and get that witch or a descendant of that witch to free them from their werewolf prisons.

She headed downstairs and went straight into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee using a fancy French press coffee maker. She wished she'd had the forethought to get one when she was in college, because it made the best tasting cup of coffee. With a steaming mug in her hand, she wandered into the parlor a few minutes later and found Klaus and Rebekah in the middle of an intense conversation with Sophie, though interrogation might have better described the way Klaus and Rebekah were questioning the witch.

"I had nothing to do with it, I swear," Sophie spoke adamantly as Cassandra made her way around the back of the couch and sat down on the couch arm beside Klaus. They shared a brief smile as he looped his right arm around her waist and rested it on top of her lap. "Cassandra and I are linked, remember? She dies, I die."

"Then who were they?" Rebekah asked in a no-nonsense tone.

"They're a faction of extremists. Sabine stupidly told them about some vision she had about the baby," Sophie told them.

"Ah yes, Cassandra told me all about Sabine's little vision," Klaus hummed.

"Wait," Sophie paused and eyed Cassandra. "You knew about it?"

"Uh, I was there when it happened. Took me some time to figure out what it meant, but I was able to figure that out too," Cassandra smiled, proud of herself for figuring out the translation. "The only mistake I made was not saying anything as soon as I knew what she saw."

"Which was?" Rebekah stared at Cassandra, Klaus, and Sophie, waiting for one of them to fill her in.

"Go ahead, tell her Sophie," Cassandra raised her eyebrows as she brought the mug in her hand up to her lips to take a sip of her coffee.

Sophie let out a sigh before meeting Rebekah's eyes. "Okay, the thing you have to understand is Sabine has visions all the time. They're totally open to interpretation. This one pretty much said that your baby would bring death to all witches."

"I grow fonder of this child by the second," Rebekah chuckled softly as a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She let out a soft sigh as she took a seat beside Klaus and regained her serious composure. "Sophie, look. I promised Elijah that I would protect Cassandra and the Mikaelson miracle baby whilst he tries to win your witch Davina's loyalty. Why don't you tell me just how extreme this faction is."

Sophie's eyes widened in shock. "Elijah's talking to Davina?" She murmured.

"Yeah, as we speak, I imagine," Rebekah leaned back against the couch and placed her hands on her lap as she crossed her legs.

"I'm guessing she'll have plenty to say about that crowd," Sophie signed.

"Do tell," Klaus arched his eyebrows curiously as he leaned back and stretched his other arm across the top of the couch.

"I wasn't always an advocate for the witches," Sophie began to explain her history with the witches in New Orleans. "My sister was devoted like our parents, and our upbringing was very strict, which drove me nuts. The minute I turned twenty one, I left the quarter to travel...and play, but I wanted to be a chef. So I came back to Rousseau's. That was eight months ago. The day I arrived was also the day I learned from my sister that the elders in our coven voted to move forward with the Harvest."

"What the bloody hell is the harvest?" Rebekah stared at Sophie with a confused scowl on her face.

"It's a ritual our coven does every three centuries so that the bond to our ancestral magic is restored," Sophie told them. "We appease our ancestors. They keep our ancestral power flowing.

"And why haven't I heard of this?" Klaus's face was hard and serious.

"Because the Harvest always seemed like a myth, a story passed down through generations, like Noah's Ark, or the Buddha walking on water, the kind some people take literally, and some people don't," was Sophie's answer.

She went on to explain what the Harvest ritual entailed. The girls of the community spent months preparing to be selected for the ritual, of which only four would be chosen. They were told it was an honor to be picked, that they were special. Sophie admitted she thought it was a myth.

"Was it?" Rebekah wanted to know.

Before Sophie could answer, Klaus's cell phone rang from inside his jacket pocket. He removed his arm from around Cassandra and pulled his phone out, standing up as he answered it and held it up to his ear.

"Marcel, bit early in the day for you, isn't it?" Klaus spoke into his phone as he walked around the couch.

"Ugh, what's he want now?" Cassandra mumbled softly under her breath.

"Dead witches in the Bayou. Sounds like less of a problem and more like a cause for celebration," Klaus smirked. The mention of dead witches drew Sophie's attention like a moth to a flame. He'd been pacing while he listened to Marcel talk and came to a stop beside Cassandra. She gazed up at him, wishing for once to have super vampire hearing so she could listen in on Marcel's end of the phone call. Klaus smiled at her and took her hand with his free hand, holding it in his palm while he ran his thumb back and forth over her knuckles. "Well, why not. I haven't been to the Bayou in ages. I'm on my way."

"You can't go out there now," Sophie tried to dissuade him once he'd ended his call with Marcel. "I need to gather the witches' remains and consecrate them. If I don't get to them before sundown, we lose the link to their magic."

"Those witches tried to kill Cassandra. I prefer for Marcel's informant not to find anything that would lead him back to us, to her, or to our unborn child. You…" he pointed at Sophie "Stay put and save the rest of your story 'til I return." He turned to Cassandra and leaned down to kiss her on the lightly on the lips. "Do try to stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

"I'll do my best," Cassandra flashed him a smile as he left the room.

When she was sure Klaus was long gone from the mansion, Sophie jumped to her feet and began to head towards the front door. Cassandra eyed Rebekah to see if she would stop Sophie, but when she didn't bat an eyelash from where she sat on the couch, Cassandra knew it was up to her.

"Where do you think you're going?" She called out, stopping Sophie in her tracks. "You're going out there anyway, aren't you?"

"If she wants to go, let her. It'll be her funeral we go to next once Nik finds out," Rebekah stared at her nails as she spoke. Taking this as a cue, Sophie started to continue towards the front door.

"Wait!" Cassandra rose to her feet. "Just hang on a second. What if whatever is responsible for all those dead witches is still out there. It's obvious it wants to protect me and hates witches. It's not safe for you out there, Sophie. That's why I want Rebekah to go with you."

"What?!" Both Sophie and Rebekah spoke at the same time, staring at Cassandra like she'd completely lost her mind.

"You said it before. We're linked. If one of us dies, we both die. Neither of us want that," Cassandra reminded of them of the link between herself and Sophie.

"Fine," Rebekah sighed and rose to her feet.

"I'll give Hayley a heads up so she can buy you some time," Cassandra pulled her phone out of her pocket and began punching in a text message.

"Who's Hayley?" Sophie asked as she and Rebekah headed out. "A werewolf from Mystic Falls who apparently resides in the Bayou now," Rebekah answered.

* * *

"So enlighten me. What did you mean when you said you had to die?" Elijah asked Davina while he sat in a chair up in the attic of St. Ann's Church fiddling with a stunning violin. Davina had been telling him about the events leading to her being under Marcel's protection and living in the church's attic. She explained the Harvest ritual and how she and her best friend Monique had been chosen for it. The elders had made it out to be this incredible honor, that they would be forever celebrated as saviors of the community, but in reality all they wanted was more power. This power they would get from the ritual itself.

"I left before they could get it. Now they're running out of time because after the Harvest comes the Reaping, and if they don't complete the Harvest there won't be a reaping. Soon all of the witches in the Quarter will start to lose their power. Eventually, they'll cease to be witches altogether," A smile appeared on Davina's face as her words hung in the air.

Elijah stared at her with puzzled eyes. "So what does it take to complete this ritual?"

Davina waited a beat before answering. "I have to die."

After his initial shock wore off, Davina went on to tell him about how she and the other girls were misled into thinking the ritual would only entail a little cut on their palms which would put them to sleep, like a sort of limbo, and that later they'd be resurrected at the Reaping.

"I never got to the limbo part, which means the Harvest isn't complete," Davina turned around to face Elijah after putting a folded article of clothing into an open suitcase. Marcel had come into the attic earlier that day to let her know he was moving her someplace else.

"And then what?"

"They're punished, and I'm free."

"From Marcel?" Elijah guessed.

Davina shook her head. "Of magic. All our power will drain away. I'll be normal."

Maybe normal wasn't the best word for her to use, but in her mind it was better than the way she was right now. She had so much power, sometimes she couldn't control it, and she'd hurt people without meaning to.

"Why don't you tell me about your friends?" Elijah could sense the pain and sadness in the sixteen year old girl standing before him and decided to press on to another topic. "You must miss them."

"There's Tim," a small smile crept onto her face. He was the owner of the violin Elijah fiddling with. "He doesn't know about any of this witch stuff. He's normal. My best friend Monique, she was a part of the Harvest too. She's lucky. No one ever fought for me, but someone fought for her. The only one who ever spoke out against the Harvest was Monique's aunt.

"And who was that?" Elijah asked softly as Davina turned away from him.

"Sophie Deveraux."

With her back to Elijah, she was unable to see the completely bewildered look on his face from hearing this startling revelation.

* * *

Cassandra let out a sigh as came back into the parlor after eating breakfast and plopped down onto the couch. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and stretched out as she dialed her mom's familiar number and brought the device up to her ear. She figured they were overdue for a mother-daughter chat.

She didn't realize just how much she missed her mom until she heard the sound of her voice on the other end of the phone line. She would have loved to do a video call, but she knew her mom was at work, so a phone call would have to suffice.

Her mom didn't waste any time, jumping right in to asking her how she was feeling and if she was taking good care of herself, getting plenty of rest, and eating right. She was incredibly thankful to not have to deal with morning sickness. A perk of having a supernatural pregnancy, she surmised. She made sure to reassure her mom that, yes, she was taking very good care of herself.

"And what about Klaus and Elijah? Are they treating you well? Keeping you safe?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

"Of course, mom. They are being very attentive and protective of me," Cassandra answered. She decided not to say anything about Elijah being daggered now that they knew they'd be getting him back any day now thanks to Davina. "It is kind of a drag though, having to see the same walls day after day, but what can I do? It's too dangerous for me to be out in the city right now with the way things are."

"Hang in there, honey. It won't always be like this," Elizabeth tried to reassure her as best she could.

"Yeah, I know. I just really don't want to still be stuck like this once my daughter is born," Cassandra grinned as she said the words, waiting anxiously to see if her mom caught on.

"Well if anyone can beat this it's….hang on…did you..did you just say daughter? You're having a girl? Oh Cassandra!" Elizabeth gushed. "That's wonderful sweetheart."

"Yeah. The other night this witch, Sabine, she did this thing with a crystal tied to a string and, yeah, it's a girl. You're gonna have a granddaughter."

They spent the next few minutes gushing over baby girl things like dresses and hair bows. As fun as it was, it only made Cassandra yearn to be back home in Mystic Falls even more than before. Eventually it became too much, and she found herself bursting into tears.

"I'm sorry mom," Cassandra sniffled.

"Oh, that's okay. Sweetheart, you're pregnant which means your hormones are all wacky right now. Crying is perfectly normal and acceptable, okay? Don't feel bad about it. I cried at the strangest times when I was pregnant with you," Elizabeth chuckled softly.

Cassandra took a big shaky breath, attempting to calm herself down. "I just…I wish I had never come out here for that stupid interview in the first place. If I hadn't, I'd be back in Mystic Falls with you and Caroline and Tyler. I wouldn't be linked to a witch and stuck alone in a giant mansion."

"Well, you know you'll always have a room and a place here waiting for you."

"Thanks, mom. That means a lot to me. Of course I need to be unlinked from Sophie before I can even start to think about coming home. I should have just asked Bonnie to help me when I had the chance," Cassandra let out a hopeless sigh. "Well, wait. Maybe it's not too late. Maybe I should just call her up and see if she'd be willing to meet me out here. What do you think?"

"Caroline didn't tell you?" Elizabeth spoke in a quiet voice.

"Tell me what? We haven't spoken in a couple weeks. Mom, what is it?" She did not like the sudden change in her mom's voice.

"Oh no. Honey, there's no easy way to say this. I'm afraid…Bonnie, she..well, she died. She cast a spell to bring Jeremy back before putting the veil to the Other Side up and it was too much magic for her body to come back from. I'm so sorry. I thought Caroline would have told you."

"What?!" Cassandra sat up. "She's dead? Why wouldn't Caroline call and tell me?"

"I don't know. Maybe she didn't want to upset you knowing everything you're already dealing with right now."

"I just...I can't believe she's gone. And she brought Jeremy back. Elena must be over the moon about that.

"Understandably so. I'll...oh, hold on a second," Elizabeth trailed off. A moment later Cassandra could hear the faint sound of her mother's voice speaking what she called 'police talk' into her radio. She returned to their conversation a few seconds later. "Sorry, honey. I hate to do this, but I have to respond to a call we just received. I'll talk to Caroline and let her know I told you about Bonnie. I'm sure she'll call you soon."

"Okay. I guess I'll talk to you later then," There was an obvious sadness in Cassandra's voice.

After saying goodbye and ending the call, Cassandra leaned back on the couch and rolled on her side to curl up. Her eyes welled with tears as the last shred of hope she had for being unlinked from Sophie left her. She did not attempt to stop the tears as they began to flow freely down her cheeks. Her heart ached for Caroline and Elena. Even though something incredible had come out of Bonnie's death, they still lost their best friend.

She didn't know how long she laid there sobbing, but when it finally subsided, it left her physically and emotionally spent so she closed her eyes and allowed her body to drift off into a light slumber. When she awoke sometime later and trudged up the stairs to the bathroom, she was taken aback by her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, along with her nose.

"Oh, that's really attractive," she groaned softly. She splashed some cold water onto her face, hoping it would help, and dabbed it dry with a towel. When she looked in the mirror again, she didn't see any change. With a heavy sigh, she headed back downstairs and went into the kitchen to get some ice to hold against her eyes to make the puffiness go down. It was a little trick she'd learned once from one of her friends in high school. She'd barely made it down the last step when the front door opened and Rebekah came walking in.

"Oh, good. I don't have to search the entire house for you," she closed the front door once she was inside and walked over to where Cassandra stood. "Sophie was able to do her witchy thing in the Bayou. Your little werewolf friends stayed away. Had a little run in with one of Marcel's minion's though, but Klaus took care of him before he could get word to—hang on. Have you been crying? What happened?"

"I'm fine," Cassandra murmured in a soft voice. She felt a lump form in her throat and swallowed slowly. "I talked to my mom. It's Bonnie. She…she's dead. My mom said she died bringing Jeremy back from the Other Side before she put the veil back up."

"Oh," Rebekah's face softened. "I'm sorry, Cassandra. She and your sister were close, right?"

"Uh huh. Best friends since they were in diapers."

"Well, at least she died honorably. Though I don't quite understand why Elena Gilbert continues to prosper and get everything she wants." She shook her head slightly. "Come. This calls for a drink."

She motioned for Cassandra to follow her and lead the way into a large sitting room with a black grand piano. They stopped next to the piano where a tray with a liquor filled crystal decanter and tumbler set had been placed. Cassandra watched as Rebekah poured two drinks and started to hand her one. She stared at Rebekah with raised eyebrows, waiting for her to remember that she couldn't drink any alcohol.

"Oh, right," Rebekah brought the cup up to her lips and downed the liquid inside. She set it down and picked up the second glass. "To Bonnie Bennett."

Cassandra nodded, giving Rebekah a sad half-smile as she drank. When she set the glass back down on the tray, the front door opened and Klaus walked in.

"Nik, finally. What—" Rebekah stopped short when Elijah walked in behind him, smiling as their eyes met. She raced towards him and threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

Cassandra felt her spirits rise some at seeing Elijah again. She was glad Davina had finally released him from the attic. While he and Rebekah embraced, she cautiously shifted her gaze onto Klaus. He took one look at her eyes and instantly whooshed to her side.

"Cassandra, what's wrong?" He cupped her face gently and tilted her head up so he could get a better look. "You've been crying. Why?"

"Bonnie's dead," she murmured. "I found out from my mom when I called her earlier."

"Oh. That's too bad," he gazed at her apologetically.

"She died bringing back Jeremy Gilbert," Rebekah told them as she let go of Elijah.

"I thought maybe we could find a way to get Bonnie out here so that she could unlink me from Sophie, but, it doesn't matter now," Cassandra trailed off.

Klaus pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead as he ran a hand down the back of her head. She wrapped her arms tightly around his torso and buried her face against his shoulder. She pinched her eyes shut as a wave of sadness washed over her. The last thing she wanted to do was start crying again, especially in front of him and his siblings.

"Perhaps I can provide a solution to that dilemma," Elijah's velvety voice caused her to lift her head and turn to meet his gaze. "Davina will do it. Unknowingly, of course. In exchange for releasing me, I have promised her a spell from one of mother's grimoires. She needs to learn to control her magic, and this particular spell is a first step in teaching her to do so, and it serves us as well."

"Clever Elijah," Rebekah grinned.

"There, you see," Klaus smiled at Cassandra. "You will be free soon enough, sweetheart."

She nodded and allowed herself to smile back at them. "That's wonderful. Oh, and welcome home, Elijah."

"Thank you," he smiled and gave her a polite nod. "We have much to discuss. If you will all join me in my study, I will share with you what I learned from Davina today. I think you will find, like me, that it irrevocably changes everything we've come to know since the day we learned of Cassandra's pregnancy."

Before following him upstairs, Klaus retrieved a glass of water from the kitchen for Cassandra, insisting she should drink some because she'd clearly been doing a lot of crying which left her dehydrated. Knowing he was almost certainly right, she didn't fight him on it and obediently took the glass from him after he came back, taking a big gulp from it as they headed upstairs.

When they walked into the large study, Cassandra was surprised to see Elijah had removed his suit jacket and tie, and had rolled up the sleeves of his button up shirt to his elbows. He stood behind his desk, waiting for them to get situated. There were two chairs facing the desk. Rebekah was already sitting in one with her legs comfortably crossed. Klaus ushered Cassandra over to the other chair and took a spot standing behind it.

"Everything that brought us here to New Orleans was a lie—this story that Sophie Deveraux fabricated, this struggle for control of the French Quarter, this war between vampires and witches, wasn't over territory at all. This was over Davina," Elijah began to tell them everything Davina had told him about the Harvest and it's true sinister purpose for the witches. "Eight months ago, Sophie Deveraux and her sister Jane-Anne lost everything. Now, four months after that, a young, pregnant girl wanders into their restaurant. Suddenly, all hope is renewed. Jane-Anne actually sacrificed her life so that her sister could use you, Niklaus, to find Davina. If Sophie Deveraux is successful in capturing Davina, she can return Jane-Anne's daughter back to life. We thought we'd come here to wage a war for power. This is about family. In order to return her niece to life, Sophie Deveraux will fight to the death. That makes her more dangerous than anyone."

Cassandra was so mad by the time Elijah had finished telling them everything she was shaking. She gripped her water glass tightly while she clenched her other hand in a tight fist. Sophie had used her, like a pawn. She had used all of them. She had kidnapped her, had her sister link the two of them together, held her hostage for three days all so she could manipulate Klaus into doing what she needed him to do—take Marcel down so she could get Davina back and complete the Harvest which would bring her niece back to life. The more she thought about all of the lies Sophie had fed them, the stronger her anger grew. She didn't think she'd ever hated someone as much as she now hated the New Orleans witch.

A loud cracking sound drew her out of her anger induced thoughts. She looked down and discovered she'd been holding the glass of water in her right hand so tightly that she ended up shattering it into pieces. Her hand dripped with water and blood from pieces of broken glass that had embedded themselves into her hand. The three Mikaelsons stared at her in surprise, taken aback by her show of negative emotion. Before any of them could do or say anything, Cassandra rose from her chair and stalked out of the room.

She didn't stop until she was outside by the pool. With the sun obscured by the trees surrounding the property, the light breeze was comfortable and soothing. She inhaled slowly through her nose and let the breath out through her mouth as she stared at the water. She repeated the process, each breath slowly calming her down and returning her heart rate to its normal beating pattern. She wasn't sure how long she had been out there before she felt a presence beside her. She didn't need to look up to know who it was.

"Are you okay, love?" Klaus's velvety voice murmured softly.

"I've never felt that kind of rage before," she kept her eyes fixed on the pool as she spoke. "I don't know if it's because I'm pregnant, but, I really, _really_ wanted to hit something. Like Sophie Deveraux. I hate that I felt that way."

"I believe I know a thing or two about that," he chuckled. And Sophie Deveraux will pay for all of her lies and deceit with her life once the two of you are unlinked."

She fought the urge to laugh at his comment. "Yeah, I know you do." She paused and looked up at him. "Does it make me a bad person if I'm completely okay with that?"

"Don't be silly. It makes you a normal person."

"I guess."

"I _know_."

She sighed softly knowing it was useless to argue about it. She gave him a weak smile, hoping it would be enough to convince him she was accepting what he believed about her. "Okay."

"Good. Now that we've settled that, may I look at your hand?" He asked gently. She nodded slowly, keeping her eyes fixed on him as she held out her left hand to him. Now that her anger had subsided, the sting from the glass fragments stuck in her palm was more noticeable. "Your hand cannot heal until the pieces of glass are removed."

"Okay," she nodded in understanding. He made quick work of pulling the bits of glass out of her hand, discarding them to the ground. She watched in amazement as the cuts closed up and healed right before her eyes. "Wow, that is so crazy. I can't believe the blood from this tiny little peach sized baby growing inside of me can do that."

"Mmm, yes, it's quite astonishing," Klaus chuckled softly. "Are you ready to go back inside or do you need more time?"

"I'm much better now. I mean I'm still pissed at Sophie, but I'm not seeing red anymore. For the moment anyway. No promises that I won't bite her head off though the next time she shows her face around here."

"Let's just leave the biting to the hybrid, shall we?" Klaus wore a mischievous grin on his face as he guided her up the stairs to the second floor patio.

"Fine, fine," Cassandra gave a soft laugh as she slid her arm around his torso and leaned into him. "I guess we'll all have to continue playing nice until the linking spell is broken. After that…all bets are off."

"Indeed," Klaus agreed. "Once you are free, I will kill every last one of those witches."

She had no doubt that he would. All they had to do was wait for a sixteen year old witch to gain enough control over her magic to unlink her and Sophie.

Simple. Easy. And twenty four hours later, the very last thing any of them would want to do.


	5. Free At Last

**I'm so glad you guys were overall pleased with how I went about including Hayley in this. Rest assured, I have no plans to put her with Elijah. Hayley's still going to wind up marrying Jackson. I actually have some fun bits between him, Hayley, and Cassandra planned down the line, so there's a little something to look forward to. Also, I'm gonna apologize now for the way this chapter ends, though if you're familiar with the series, you know what's coming, so it won't come as a huge surprise or anything. I think that's all I have to say, so with that, enjoy, and thanks for all of the love and support. You guys are the best!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Free At Last**

Cassandra came downstairs the next morning feeling calm and rested despite the drama from the previous night. She walked into the mansion's large sitting room and saw the back of Klaus's head as he sat on the couch. She made her way up to the couch and slid her arms around him from behind as she kissed his cheek.

"Morning," she murmured in a chipper voice.

"Good morning, love," he hummed, glancing sideways at her. "I'm glad to see you're in a better mood."

"As am I," Elijah's voice drew her attention, causing her to glance up at him.

"Just chalk it up to a good nights—Ah! What the..."She trailed off as her eyes landed on the body of a woman sprawled out on the coffee table positioned between Klaus and Elijah. She was quick to notice the puncture marks on the dead girl's neck. "Seriously? You just leave her there? What am I saying? Of course that's what you do. Eck. I was going to join you out here, but now I've changed my mind."

She could hear Klaus laughing softly as she made her way through the side door into the kitchen. _Vampires! Ugh!_ She shook her head as she grabbed a bowl from the cupboard. She turned to another cupboard door, intending to open it and grab the cereal she knew was inside, when she found Elijah standing in front of her with the box of cereal in his hand. She murmured a soft thank you as he handed it to her and poured some into the empty bowl on the counter.

"I see you and my brother have made amends," he smiled.

"What? Oh. Yeah. I guess he daggered you before you were able to find out about that. When he came back to Mystic Falls for the high school graduation, he gave me a huge apology. Although, I was pretty pissed at him for lying to me about what he did to you, but you're back now so things are...vastly improved, for the most part."

"I'm glad to see you are doing well," he pulled a spoon out of a nearby drawer and placed it on the counter next to the bowl.

"Considering I've been attacked by French Quarter vampires, basically lived in this giant maze of a mansion under what feels an awful lot like house arrest, and nearly killed by a group of witches who are convinced my baby is Lucifer, I'd say 'well' is a bit of an understatement," she turned around and grabbed the milk from the refrigerator.

An amused smile tugged at Elijah's lips as he watched her pour milk into her bowl of cereal. After she put the milk away he handed her the bowl. "Those murderous witches shall be dealt with as soon as Davina successfully casts the unlinking spell I'll be bringing her this morning."

"That's a relief."

"Yes it is," Rebekah appeared in the kitchen, dragging the dead body from the living room across the floor behind her. "Once the spell is complete and they are unlinked, we get to leave this crap town. Who do we have to kill?"

"Probably no one," Elijah followed Rebekah with his eyes until she'd gone out the back door, closing it behind her with a soft click. Cassandra raised her eyebrows, eyeing Elijah skeptically. "All right. Potentially everyone."

"That's what I thought," she laughed softly as she ate a spoonful of cereal. While Elijah put everything away, Cassandra wandered back into the sitting room and plopped down on the couch beside Klaus, grateful that Rebekah had removed the dead body. Klaus smiled and draped his arm around her shoulders. She ate another bite and leaned closer to get a better look at the book in his lap. 'A Poison Tree'. Interesting morning reading material."

"Poetry about poisoned apples from dead trees," Rebekah walked into the room carrying some cleaning supplies and got down on the floor next to the coffee table to clean the blood stains on the rug. "Looks like someone is worried about impending daddyhood."

"Nonsense," Klaus gave a slight shake of his head. "Elijah is back. In his presence, all problems turn to pixie dust and float away."

Cassandra had just eaten another spoonful of cereal and had been about to swallow it when Klaus's comment caught her off guard. She had to cover her mouth and quickly swallow to keep herself from spitting out her food as a giggle rolled through her.

"Strange, I don't recall any pixie dust from the darkness of the coffin I was recently forced to endure," Elijah entered the room, walking behind the couch they sat in to the table where he'd left a grimoire belong to his mother

"Point Elijah," Cassandra chuckled softly which resulted in a playful jab in the side from Klaus.

"Elijah, are you certain about using Davina to unlink Cassandra from Sophie Deveraux?" Rebekah eyed him as he tore a page out of the spell book.

"Sophie brought us to this town under false pretenses," Elijah wrapped the page in a leather holder and stuffed it inside his suit jacket pocket. As he continued to speak, his eyes darted back and forth from Rebekah to Klaus. "She doesn't just want us to take down Marcel and his minions. She wants to take Davina back so she yoked her own cause to ours with magic, threats, and half-truths. Well, no more. As of now, our deal with Sophie Deveraux is null and void."

Cassandra met Klaus's eyes as a devilish smirk curled onto his lips. She knew that smirk all too well. It was his famous I'm-about-to-raise-all-kinds-of-hell smirk. The witches weren't going to know what hit them.

"Niklaus," Elijah continued on. "I need you to come with me. I need five minutes alone with Davina. You need to make certain that I am not interrupted. Rebekah, you stay here and watch Cassandra."

"Hey! I don't need a babysitter!" Cassandra scowled at Elijah as he left the room.

"How did I get elected supernanny?" Rebekah stood to her feet, staring at Klaus and Cassandra in disbelief.

Klaus closed the poetry book he had resting on his lap and placed it on the coffee table. "More importantly, who put him in charge?"

"Just…go. The sooner he can get the spell to Davina, the sooner she can cast it and I can be free from Sophie," Cassandra sighed.

"Try not to get into any trouble while I'm gone," Klaus murmured, kissing her quickly before rising in his feet to follow after Elijah.

* * *

Sophie Deveraux leaned over the counter in the kitchen at Rousseau's chopping vegetables that she would be adding to a fresh batch of gumbo she had bubbling away in a large pot on the stove. Behind her, Sabine sat on the work table with her legs dangling off the edge, watching Sophie as she focused on making her famous gumbo. Turning around to carry some freshly chopped carrots to the growing pile of vegetables she already had on the work table, Sophie froze as her eyes landed on Sabine.

"I cook on that you know," she stared, frowning in disgust.

"Don't get cranky with me," Sabine teased. "I'm the only witch who still likes you."

Sophie rolled her eyes as she turned back around and picked up a big metal spoon to stir the pot of gumbo with. "Yeah. It's not like I'm trying to save the witch heritage or anything," she turned around to face Sabine again after she was done stirring.

"They'll come around," Sabine gave a slow nod of her head. "They're just old-school and scared."

"Scared of what, your prophecy about the hybrid baby? Agnes and her freak show minions had a real field day with that one."

"I can't help what I see, Soph."

"Well, if you're psychic, I'm Martha Stewart," She cracked a small smile. As she walked up to the work table, she motioned with her finger. "Scooch."

Sabine hopped off the table as Sophie carried a celery stalk back to the counter to chop up. Sabine moved closer to the counter to watch what Sophie was doing. Out of the corner of her eye, a moving shadow drew her attention. She turned her head to get a better look and found a figure in a black mask and black clothes standing a few feet away.

"What the..." Sabine stared with wide eyes. Before she could say anything else, she was grabbed from behind by the shoulder and spun around. An arm took a powerful backhanded swing at her, sending her flying backwards towards the work table. The back of her head hit the table's edge, effectively knocking her out and sending her onto the floor in a heap.

Sophie turned around and took a big swing at the first attacker with the knife she held in her hand. He grabbed her arm to hold her back and held his other hand out, blowing a powder he held in it right at her face. She coughed and slowly slumped to the floor, passing out within seconds.

When she woke up a little while later, she found herself being dragged into one of the Lafayette Cemetery mausoleums. She struggled and fought against her attackers who gripped her by the arms.

"Let go of me!" She growled as her wrists were secured in metal shackles that hung from the ceiling.

"Leave her be," Agnes entered the crypt and removed a tan satchel she'd been carrying over her shoulder, setting it on a stone table positioned a few yards away from Sophie.

"Killing me to get to Klaus or his baby is not the answer," Sophie tried to calmly plead with Agnes not to go through with whatever she was about to do.

Standing with her back to Sophie, Agnes opened her bag and began pulling things out until she found what she was searching for. "I'm not gonna kill you, Sophie. I was there the day you were born. I'm the last remaining elder of our coven. It is my duty to protect our power, and our power means nothing if that baby grows another day."

She turned around to face Sophie and began to slowly walk towards her. "Sabine's omen was clear. That baby will bring death to us all."

"What are you gonna do?" Sophie asked in a soft, fearful voice. Agnes held up a large, gold steampunk style syringe with a long needle. Recognition flashed on Sophie's face as her eyes widened in terror. She immediately began to struggle and squirm against the chains that held her prisoner, begging Agnes not to prick her. "No. No. Agnes, no. No. No! Don't do this! No!"

Ignoring her pleas, Agnes grabbed Sophie's head and held it to the side. She raised the syringe and stabbed the needle into Sophie's neck. "There. Now all we have to do is wait."

* * *

Shortly after Klaus and Elijah left, Cassandra returned her breakfast dishes to the kitchen and fixed herself a cup of coffee. When it was done she carried her steamy mug into the parlor room and curled up on the couch with the book she'd currently been reading. After a few pages, she realized her mind wasn't all that into it, so she marked her spot and closed the book, placing it on the coffee table beside her mug.

Exhaling softly, she picked up her cell phone and turned it on. She scrolled through the contacts until she found the one she was looking for and tapped the 'call' button that appeared on the screen. She leaned back against the couch as she held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" A sad voice answered after two rings.

"Cami? Hey. It's Cass," Cassandra responded in a light, cheerful voice.

"Oh, hey Cass," Cami murmured.

"Is this a bad time? I wasn't calling about anything in particular so I can always—"

"It's fine. What's up?"

"At the moment? Not much. Are you okay? You sound sad."

"Just missing my twin brother, Sean. Oh. I don't think I ever told you I had a twin." Cami paused for a long moment before continuing. "He died eight months ago. Suicide. Killed nine other people before taking his own life at our uncle's church where he was studying to become a priest. Anyway, I was visiting his grave this morning and found the word 'murderer' scrawled across it in red paint."

Cassandra let out an audible gasp. "Oh my god. That's horrible. Who would do something so cruel?"

"Any number of people from the families of the people he killed," Cami sighed. "A week ago I would have been absolutely livid after seeing my brother's grave vandalized like that. But today...I wasn't bothered by it at all. How weird is that?"

 _Okay, that's definitely...odd._ "Yeah, definitely weird," Cassandra agreed.

"My uncle thinks I'm healing."

"Maybe you are."

"I don't know. Shouldn't I feel stronger, more at peace if I were healing? Instead I feel empty. And broken. I've always believed someone else was responsible for what my brother did. He was somehow forced to commit those murders and take his own life. He was so excited about becoming a priest. He had everything to live for. Someone like that doesn't just..snap out of nowhere, but I could never prove it. I used to be so determined and driven to find answers, now all I seem to care about is how pissed I am at the guy I've been seeing who keeps blowing me off."

Cassandra couldn't help but wonder if Cami's brother had been compelled by a vampire. It sure sounded that way and explained the sudden change in his behavior. _I wonder if that same vampire got to Cami and compelled her to stop looking into it,_ she thought to herself. "I'm so sorry, Cami."

"Thanks. And thanks for letting me talk your ear off a little bit for a change." Cami chuckled softly.

"Anytime."

They talked for a little longer about life in general before hanging up and going their separate ways. Cassandra stood up and started to reach for her empty coffee mug on the coffee table when she felt a sharp pinch on the left side of her neck.

"Ah!" She yelped as she placed her hand on her neck. She pulled it back and stared in shock at the red blood on her fingertips.

"What the hell was that?" Rebekah came walking into the room after hearing Cassandra's cry.

"I have no idea," Cassandra shrugged. "It felt like I was being stabbed.

Rebekah walked up the rest of the way to Cassandra and took a closer look at her neck. She discovered a small puncture mark that was starting to heal. She and Cassandra exchanged a look. They both knew whatever this was, it wasn't good. While Rebekah pulled out her phone to call her brothers, Cassandra went upstairs to the bathroom to wipe off the blood from her neck and fingers. She was certain something bad had happened to Sophie, but she didn't know what, nor did she know how it would affect her and the baby. For the time being, she felt perfectly fine.

With a heavy sigh, she left the bathroom and went into her bedroom, grabbing the pregnancy book from the nightstand, and made herself comfortable in the easy chair near the bedroom window. Twenty minutes later, Rebekah came into the room carrying a big bowl of bright red apples.

"It's time for the demon spawn to snack," Rebekah spoke in a sing-song voice as she approached the chair where Cassandra sat.

"Ugh, you sound just like Caroline," Cassandra shook her head as she closed her book and rested it on her lap. "I really wish you guys wouldn't call her that. She is your niece after all."

"I'm sorry. Have you picked another name yet?" Rebekah paused and held out the bowl of apples. "Take one. The plantation is lousy with them."

Cassandra reached out and picked one up. She wasn't really hungry, but she knew better than to turn it down. Her baby did need sustenance.

"How's your neck?" Rebekah asked as she walked over to set the bowl down on a small nearby table.

"I feel fine, which is weird. I'm sure this is Sophie-related," Cassandra answered.

"Well, do me a favor and don't die on my watch. I'll never hear the end of it. Plus, there's a good chance I'd actually miss you."

"Trust me, I have no intention or desire for that to happen. Are your brothers looking for Sophie?"

Rebekah nodded. "They are."

"Good," Cassandra was glad to hear it. She raised the apple up to her mouth, intending to bite into it, when she began to feel woozy.

"What's wrong?" Alarm washed over Rebekah's face.

"I don't know. Maybe morning sickness," Cassandra shook her head slightly.

Rebekah reached out and placed a hand on her forehead. "Oh, you're burning up, actually."

"I am?" Cassandra blinked in surprise.

"Yes. Come on," Rebekah took the apple out of her hand and helped her up. She guided her over to the bed and helped her lay down. "Lucky for you I spent some time as a nurse in the early nineteen hundreds. I'll be right back."

Cassandra nodded and closed her eyes. She knew the fever and the prick she gotten in her neck were related, but she was too hot and tired to think about what the goal was. Another minute passed before she heard Rebekah's footsteps returning to the room. She opened her eyes to see Rebekah walking over to the side of the bed with a wet cloth in her hand.

"Here we go, this should cool you down a little," she murmured as she dabbed Cassandra's forehead and chest with it. Cassandra closed her eyes and tossed her head back and forth with a sigh. "Oh, stop fussing will you. Elijah will be here any minute."

"Elijah?" She blinked her eyes open and stared at Rebekah. "What about Klaus?"

"He's hunting down the witch responsible for this. You think he would let anyone else handle that job? No."

"Got it. Ugh, I'm so hot. I feel like I've been microwaved."

Rebekah lightly scolded Cassandra as she continued to dab her chest and neck with the cloth. "Hey, just because you're carrying a baby doesn't mean you get to act like one. I'm sure my little niece is healing you up as we speak."

"I hope so," Cassandra murmured.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention to the doorway as Elijah came walking in. Cassandra started to smile at him, but her face quickly shifted into a scowl when Sophie appeared behind him. Rebekah jumped to her feet and turned around to follow Cassandra's murderous gaze.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Rebekah snapped.

"I'm trying to help," Sophie sighed softly.

"Help? You're the reason we're in this bloody mess," Rebekah hissed. Turning to Elijah, she continued ranting. "Why aren't we unlinked with this witch already, Elijah?"

"Rebekah, let her do what she can," Elijah ordered.

"I may know a way to slow the fever down, but I'm gonna need some special herbs," Sophie started to explain her plan. "I'll text you a list."

Rebekah let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. Happy to play the fetch girl." She thrusted the damp wash cloth she'd been using on Cassandra against his chest as she marched past him.

Elijah watched her leave, and then walked over to the bed where Cassandra lay. He sat down pressed the cloth gently against the side of her face.

"Thanks," Cassandra mumbled softly.

"Of course," Elijah gave her a small nod. "I know you wish Niklaus were here instead of me."

"Well, yes, but, I'm glad you're here too, Elijah. You and Rebekah," she gave him a small smile.

She sighed and closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore Sophie's presence in the room while she tried to doze off, though she was too hot and sweaty to be comfortable enough to nap. Elijah disappeared to freshen up the washcloth and returned a minute later with it and a glass of water. He carefully helped Cassandra lean forward so she could take a sip.

"Elijah," she whispered after she was laying back down again and placed a hand on top of her stomach. "I'm scared. What if you guys can't stop this? What if…"

"You must remain positive, Cassandra. Have faith. We _will_ stop it," he placed a hand on top of hers, trying his best to reassure her. She nodded, knowing he was right, though it didn't erase her fears.

 _Please, God. Don't take my baby away,_ she silently prayed.

Rebekah returned a short while later with the ingredients Sophie had requested. Sophie told them to get Cassandra into clothes that could get wet and meet her outside by the pool. Elijah went with her while Rebekah helped Cassandra changed into a tank top and shorts. She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and draped it over Cassandra's shoulders before helping her get down the stairs.

Once they were outside, Cassandra sat down by the pool's edge clutching the towel around her body while Sophie worked frantically on her herbal potion.

"She's burning up," Elijah watched as Rebekah placed a hand on Cassandra's forehead. He quickly peeled off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of a nearby chair. "We need to do this now."

"Get her in the water," Sophie ordered. Elijah ran over to the edge of the pool where Cassandra was sitting and jumped in beside her, shoes and all. Cassandra let the towel fall onto the ground and wrapped her arms around Elijah's neck as he pulled her into the water. Once she had her footing, he guided her away from the shallow steps towards the middle of the pool. Sensing how weak she was, he lifted her arm closest to him so that it hung around his shoulders and held on to her waist to support her.

"I don't see how a midnight swim is supposed to help," Rebekah hovered around the table where Sophie stood.

"Her temperature is sky high, and the water, with the help of the herbs, should cool us down," she finished mixing her herbal concoction and put it in a cup before carrying it over to the pool. She hurried down the steps into the water and walked over to Cassandra, holding the cup out to her. "Drink this. Elijah, you're going to have to get her heart rate down."

Cassandra took the cup from Sophie and chugged as much of the herbal drink down as she could in one breath. It was disgusting, nearly making her gag. She paused to take another breath before drinking the rest.

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Elijah asked as he watched Cassandra drink.

"Hold her," Sophie told him. "It's a natural human remedy to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure."

"This is never gonna work," Rebekah watched from the side with her arms folded across her chest.

Elijah slid his arm under Cassandra's knees and scooped her into his arms. "Davina will break the link. We just need time."

Cassandra clung to Elijah, too out of it to care about how awkward being in his arms would have made her feel on any other given day. Her breathing started to grow erratic and shallow. "I…I can't…breathe." She gasped.

"Okay, long deep breaths," Elijah began to speak in a soothing voice. "Cassandra, look at me. Long deep breaths. Just focus on the sound of my voice."

She forced her eyes open and met Elijah's gaze, giving him a small nod as she did her best to listen to his voice and slow her breathing down.

"That's it," he cooed as he slowly lowered her into the water. "You'll be okay. You'll be okay."

There was a moment of calmness, but it quickly faded as a burst of pain rocketed through her. She cried out, clutching her stomach with her hand as she thrashed about in Elijah's arms, gasping and panting for breath as the pain intensified.

Standing a few feet away, Sophie let out a breath as she stared up at the sky. "I just felt it lift."

The pain Cassandra felt almost instantly vanished. She gazed over at Sophie as her breathing and heart rate returned to normal. To be completely certain they were unlinked, Sophie pulled out a needle and pricked the palm of her hand. Elijah lowered Cassandra back onto her feet and reached for her hand, holding it up out of the water to examine her palm.

"Oh, thank god," Cassandra let out a huge sigh of relief to see that her hand remained completely unharmed.

"Indeed," Elijah's lips curled into a smile. His hand lingered on hers for a moment before he released it and turned her towards the pool steps. "Come on, let's go."

"Elijah," Sophie approached him. "As soon as your brother finds out that the link is broken, he'll kill Agnes. I know you don't owe me anything, but please don't let him kill her."

Elijah gave Sophie a hard stare before whooshing out of the pool with vampire speed to the chair where he'd left his jacket. Sophie called out to him again, drawing his gaze as he reached into a pocket for his phone.

"Elijah, she's our only access to the power we need to survive. Promise me that you'll stop him," Sophie begged.

"Are you kidding me?" Cassandra growled as she climbed out of the pool and picked the towel up off the ground. As she wrapped it around herself, she shifted her eyes onto Elijah. He met her eyes briefly before dialing a number on his phone.

"It's me. Where are you?" He spoke into it. "She's fine now. Look, don't hurt her. I'll be there shortly." He ended the call and lowered the phone. "I'll make you one last promise. I won't let my brother kill Agnes."

"Seriously?" So she just gets to walk away from this? After trying to kill my baby? Twice?" Cassandra growled. She shook her head at Elijah and Sophie before marching off towards the house in a huff. She was halfway up the stairs to her room when Elijah caught up with her.

"Do not worry," he whispered in a low voice. "Agnes will pay. Just not by the hand of my brother."

"But….oh!" Cassandra's eyes widened as the memory of something Rebekah had once told her made everything click into place. _It's about what he doesn't say that matters more._ "I get it now."

"Good," Elijah gave her a nod and hurried on up the stairs.

She made her way up at a slower pace and walked over to her dresser once she was in her room to get a fresh change of clothes before heading into the bathroom to take a shower. She saw her phone resting on top of the dresser and picked it up. She quickly punched in a text to her mom and Caroline to let them know she was no longer linked to a witch. She decided not to fill them on what had transpired that day. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

When she was done she set her phone back down and disappeared into the bathroom. She reamerged a short time later and nearly jumped out of her skin when she walked back into her room and found Rebekah sitting on the edge of her bed.

"There you are," Rebekah stood to her feet. "I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Cassandra approached her, a confused expression on her face. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving town," Rebekah murmured softly.

"What? Why?"

"I only came to town to make sure everything was okay with Elijah. He's fine, and he hasn't punished Klaus for daggering him. So, as usual, they'll be thick as thieves, and I'll be left to clean up the mess. It's time for me to fly the coop."

Cassandra felt a sadness swell in her chest and swallowed a lump that began to form in her throat. "I'll miss you."

"Oh, I'll miss you too," Rebekah pulled her into a tight hug. "Call me anytime, day or night, especially if my brothers start to annoy you."

"Don't be a stranger, okay? Especially after your niece is born," Cassandra let go of her after a moment. "Speaking of, I know at some point in the next four or five months Caroline will be throwing me a killer baby shower in Mystic Falls and I want you to be there. You're my baby's aunt, too, after all."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Rebekah beamed. "Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there."

"Good," Cassandra grinned.

"All right," Rebekah clapped her hands together. "I've said my goodbye's to you and Elijah. One more stop and I'm gone. Stay safe and out of trouble, okay?"

"I'll do my very best."

Cassandra could feel her eyes stinging with tears as she watched Rebekah leave the room. She took slow deep breaths, waiting until the urge to cry had passed. When she was certain it had, she went back into the bathroom to dry her hair. She hummed softly to herself, gazing at the reflection of her stomach in the mirror every now and then.

After she finished her hair she grabbed her phone and made her way downstairs. She started to make her way towards the kitchen when a knock at the door stopped her in her tracks. She spun around and walked over to the front door. She made sure to peak through the curtains covering the window on the door to see who was there before opening it. She saw a guy who looked to be around her age waiting on the other side. She'd seen him around the mansion a couple of times, so she knew she could talk to him. He was the vampire Klaus had compelled to spy on Marcel.

She opened the door and flashed him a friendly smile. "Hey, Josh."

"Hey," Josh gave her a small nod. "Sorry to just drop by like this. Do you know where Klaus is? I've been trying to find him all day. Marcel knows that Klaus lied about where he lives."

Cassandra wasn't about to fill Josh in on everything that had gone on that day. He didn't need to know the particulars. It was unsettling to hear that Marcel knew Klaus was lying. She had a feeling it was only a matter of time before he tracked them down to the plantation house. "We've all had a crazy day today. I don't know where he is right now, but I'll call him and let him know you stopped by. Just...do what you can to keep Marcel from getting too curious about this."

"Fine. Just..tell him to call me. Please."

"Okay."

She slowly closed the door as he turned around and walked off. Neither of them were aware of the visitor lurking in the shadows. The stranger picked an apple off of the ground and gazed at it as a centuries old memory was brought to the front of his mind. Shaking it off, he stuffed the apple inside his brown jacket pocket and casually made his way up to the front door.

Inside the house, Cassandra had just reached the kitchen doorway when she heard a loud tapping at the door for the second time that night. She groaned as she walked back to the front door and opened it without checking to see who was there. "Ugh, for the love of...what do you want now, Josh?"

"Well, well," Marcel stood at the doorway, a surprised smile on his face. "Now you are the last face I expected to see here. It's Cassandra, isn't it?"

"Marcel..." She whispered as her eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah, I remember bumping in to you a few months back. Had no idea you knew the Mikaelson's, otherwise I might have tried a little harder to get you to come to my party. Ah, oh well," he waved the thoughts away and looked past her into the house. "Is Klaus here?"

"Uh...no. He's out at the moment," Cassandra answered, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Oh. That's too bad. Do me a favor, let him know I stopped by, would you?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. It was nice seeing you again, Cassandra," Marcel gave her another smile before turning around and walking off into the night.

Cassandra slowly closed the door and leaned back against it as she took a few slow deep breaths. She reached into her back pocket for her phone and started to text Klaus and Elijah as she walked towards the kitchen. A loud creak coming from the stairs drew her attention. She cautiously walked over to the edge of the staircase and glanced up. When she saw nothing out of the ordinary, she shrugged it off and went back to composing her text message.

She stopped in the kitchen doorway, taking a moment to read over what she had typed to make sure she hadn't left anything out when a hand shot out from behind her, covering her mouth so she couldn't scream. She flailed around, dropping her phone as she tried to fend off her attacker, but they had an iron grip that would not yield. She felt a small pinch in the side of her neck from what she had to guess was a needle. Everything around her quickly grew blurry before turning completely dark as her body fell limp in the arms of her attacker.


	6. Help! I've Been Kidnapped!

**I'll keep this short and sweet because I know you are all anxious to get on with reading the chapter. Most of you were correct, there will be a familiar face in this chapter, a visitor from Mystic Falls who is up to no good. That's all I'm going to say about that. Thank you so much for the incredible feedback. It continues to blow me away and make me grin from ear to ear. I look forward to hearing what you all have to say about this one. It's quite the** **roller coaster, so hang on tight and enjoy the ride!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Help! I've Been Kidnapped!**

The mansion was dark and eerily quiet when Elijah returned after dealing with Agnes. He walked forward and knelt down when he reached the spot where Cassandra's phone lay abandoned, picking it up slowly. He gripped it in his hand and quickly made his way upstairs to her room. A single, dimly lit lamp was on, and the bed was undisturbed, never slept in.

"Cassandra?" Elijah called out as he looked around. He used his vampire hearing, listening to all the sounds throughout the house, but he heard no other heartbeat or anyone else breathing. She was not there. He set Cassandra's phone on the dresser and pulled his out of his pocket. He dialed Rebekah's number, praying Cassandra was with her.

"Goodbye means goodbye, Elijah," Rebekah answered after two rings.

"Is she with you?" Elijah asked without bothering to hide the worry in his voice.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Cassandra is gone. Where is she?"

Rebekah's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

Elijah closed his eyes as the feeling of fear inside of him grew. Hearing footsteps he turned around and was met by his younger hybrid brother.

"Marcel was here," Klaus tightened his jaw as his eyes reflected the worry that was bubbling inside of him. Elijah pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at Klaus in utter bewilderment. He quickly ended his call with Rebekah and followed behind his brother as they left to go talk to Marcel.

They arrived at The Abattoir, their former home, and found dozens of vampires milling around, drinking and chatting while they waited for their host to kick off the festivities. Lurking in the shadows they watched as Marcel walked out onto an upper balcony to address the crowd.

"Ladies, gentlemen, welcome to fight night," he hollered with excitement as he held his arms out. The crowd clapped and cheered enthusiastically. "And the first rule of fight night is, the vampire left standing at the end of the night is one step closer to the inner circle, and one of these—" he held up hand he wore a large ring on. "A daylight ring. If you can impress me with a little ultra-violence, you too can enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face. All you gotta do is kick a little ass."

The crowd cheered again and formed a giant circle as Marcel went on to announce the first two contenders—a scrawny, dark haired woman named Felicia, and a big, burly man named Otto. They acknowledged the crowd around them, turned toward each other, and started throwing punches and kicks at one another. The crowd egged them on as they hammered each other, giving the fight everything they had. Eventually Felicia was able to jump up and get her legs locked around Otto's neck. With a loud crack, she snapped his neck, sending him down to the floor in a heap and effectively winning the round.

"Woo! Damn, girl, not bad," Marcel grinned at her from the balcony, clearly impressed. She held her arms out and started to give him a little bow when Klaus came vamp-speeding out of nowhere and snapped her neck. The crowd instantly fell silent as she dropped to the floor.

"Good evening," Klaus spoke loudly as he eyed Marcel. "I'd like a word."

"What do you think you're doing?" Marcel glared at him.

"It appears that we've interrupted a collection of filthy amateurs," Elijah spoke coolly as he walked through the crowd to join his brother in the center circle. "We've come here for the girl. Give her to us, or…we kill everyone here, starting with you."

"You two got a lot of nerve coming into my home and making demands," Marcel narrowed his eyes at the pair of Mikaelson brothers.

"Your home, is it?" Klaus challenged his claim.

"The girl," Elijah bellowed. "I will not ask again."

"I assume you're talking about Cassandra. Yay high," Marcel held his hand up at shoulder level. "Blonde hair, piercing blue eyes? Who is she anyway?"

"Who she is is of no concern to you," Klaus answered curtly.

"Fair enough," Marcel nodded. "I ain't got her, and before you start whining, I did pay her a little visit earlier tonight. I was feeling nostalgic, so I took a trip out to the plantation where I used to be a slave, and imagine my surprise when I realized the original family of vampires had taken up residence. Your girl Cassandra answered the door. I think she was just as surprised to see me as I was to see her. She ever tell either of you about our little run in a few months back? Ask her about it, if you're curious. We exchanged hellos and that was it. You don't believe me, look around. Hell, I'll even help you find her, but the question I'd ask is, if Cassandra isn't here, then where is she?"

* * *

Cassandra blinked her eyes open and shook her head as she looked from side to side, discovering she was in the back of a large truck with a cap installed over the truck bed. Lifting her arms, she found that her wrists had been zip-tied together. She gasped and sat up, stealing a peek through the cab window at the driver, but all she saw was the back of the guy's head. She quickly laid back down as panic began to flood her body. She shifted onto her side and started to kick at the back window with her foot, but it wouldn't budge.

"Oh, come on!" She growled, kicking at the window again as hard as she could. The only damage she was able to inflict was a thin hairline crack. The noise she made was enough to capture the driver's attention, causing him to pull off to the side of the road. Her heart pounded inside her chest as she heard the driver's side door open and close. She braced herself as a dark figure moved along the side of the truck and stopped once he reached the back. He punched out the rear window with ease, causing her to shriek in surprise. She raised her foot, attempting to kick her attacker as hard as she could, when he reached inside for her.

"Seriously?" The familiar voice of Tyler Lockwood rang out as he grabbed her leg before she could make contact with him.

"Tyler?" Cassandra gawked at him in surprise.

"You don't want to fight me, Cass," he told her as he zip-tied her ankles together. "You know you'd lose in a heartbeat."

"Why are you doing this? Let me go! Please, let me go!" She pleaded, kicking her legs and putting up the best fight she could as he tightened the zip-ties.

"Shut up!" He growled, showing her his hybrid face as he pulled her out of the truck and carried her over his shoulder. She kicked her feet and banged her fists against his back, but he continued to ignore her as he walked down the road, heading further into the swamps of the Bayou. Eventually Cassandra gave up, knowing the best thing she could do now was conserve her strength.

She had no idea how long they walked. It seemed to go on for hours. When he finally set her down, the sun had risen. She looked around and found herself sitting on the tiny porch of a run-down, rickety shack next to a huge lake.

"What is this place?" She asked as her eyes darted around, taking in her surroundings.

"The armpit of Louisiana," Tyler answered. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a knife.

"Wha…what are you gonna do with that?" Cassandra asked nervously as she attempted to scoot back on the porch.

"That depends on you," Tyler held the knife out and walked forward. He knelt down and cut off the zip-tie around her ankles.

"Hey!" She snapped, standing up now that her legs were free. " _You_ attacked _me_ , remember? You ambushed me in my own house."

Tyler narrowed his eyes at her. "It's not your house. It's Klaus's. You're shacked up in a mansion with that psycho, a long way from the girl I grew up with in Mystic Falls."

"Tyler, I'm sorry," Cassandra sighed. "But a lot has happened since the last time I saw you. Feels like a life time ago, actually."

"You mean like how you're pregnant?" He scoffed, shaking his head as Cassandra's eyes widened in surprise over the fact that he knew about it. "A hybrid baby. Yeah, I know all about it. I've been roaming around the Bayou asking questions. Learned some interesting things, like, the cursed werewolves in this region, or what's left of them after a big shot vampire had them slaughtered."

Cassandra looked around at the beat up camp sight. She wondered if Hayley was nearby, but she didn't dare say her name in front of Tyler. Movement between the trees caught her eyes. She looked closer and spotted a blonde woman lurking about.

"Hey, help me!" She called out, taking a step past Tyler, but it was to no avail. The woman took off, disappearing farther into the bayou.

"They can't help you," Tyler turned around so he was facing her again. "They're in the woods, hiding because they've been persecuted for decades by vampires."

"Yeah, I know all about—" Cassandra started to explain that she knew about what happened to them, when the sound of approaching footsteps caused her to stop talking and look to see who was coming. A man wearing a brown flannel button up shirt and jeans approached them.

"Is that her?" The man asked, pointing at Cassandra.

"Yeah, Dwayne. Get her inside," Tyler motioned at the shack behind them with his thumb as he walked off.

"Tyler?" Cassandra called out to him in a panic as Dwayne grabbed her by the arm and began to pull her towards the shack. "Tyler?!"

* * *

After Marcel gave his consent to have a witch perform a locator spell to track down Cassandra, Klaus and Elijah made the long drive out to the deep trenches of the Bayou where the map showed her to be. The brothers were in the middle of a heated bickering match over who cared more about finding her, when Klaus's hybrid senses locked on to something in the air.

"Have you found her scent?" Elijah asked, stepping towards him.

"No, but I found someone else's," he tightened his jaw.

They took off, with Klaus leading the way, and followed the scent to an abandoned truck with its rear window completely shattered. Klaus opened the driver's side door and began pulling articles of clothing out, sniffing them to confirm what he already knew about the scent he'd found.

"This vehicle reeks of someone I thought I was rid of," he paused and slammed the door shut as he faced Elijah. "Tyler Lockwood."

"And why would your little hybrid sidekick from Mystic Falls have any interest in Cassandra?" Elijah asked as Klaus started to walk down the road.

Klaus spun around, holding his hands in the air. "He wants revenge because I took her away from his girl who just so happens to be Cassandra's sister. They were quite the pair, against us being together from the very start."

"Why do I suspect this is the least of your offenses?"

"Back when I had the means to sire hybrids, he was my first, although I didn't give him much choice in the matter. He was loyal in the beginning, but he grew insubordinate, turned my other hybrids against me. I couldn't have that. So I massacred the lot of them."

During his rant, Klaus hopped up into the back of the truck and picked up a blanket. He held it up to his face and sniffed at it, then tossed it back into the truck before hopping down. "Tyler ran like a coward before I could finish him off."

"Anything else that you would like to share?" Elijah spoke in a low voice.

"Well, there was this business with his mum," A sinister smile tugged at the corners of Klaus's mouth as he recalled the memory.

"You killed his mother," Elijah realized. "Wonderful."

"He needed to be taught a lesson."

"And what lesson will you be taught, Niklaus, if he retaliates by harming Cassandra?"

Klaus's eyes darkened at the awful thought. "That I should have killed him when I had the chance instead of giving him a head start," he growled. "Mark my words, Elijah. Tyler Lockwood dies today."

He vamp-sped away before Elijah could say anything else, leaving him to search for Cassandra on his own.

* * *

Cassandra tugged at the zip-tie that bound her to the leg of a small, cast-iron wood stove. Her hope of getting out of whatever Tyler had in store for her diminished with each passing minute. The door to the shack opened, causing her to look up as Tyler walked inside, closing the door behind him. She was struck with how different the glaring face staring back at her was entirely different than the one she remembered from Mystic Falls. This face was full of anger and hate, and it frightened her to her core.

"Tyler," she murmured in a soft voice. "There was this wolf that protected me from this group of crazy witches hell bent on killing my baby. I don't know if it was drawn to the baby's wolf side or if there's some other reason it helped me. You're a hybrid. You can turn into a wolf whenever you want. Was it you?"

Tyler picked up a duffle bag that was on the floor and set it on a small table next to the window. He turned toward Cassandra and shook his head. "No, but you're right. Only hybrids can control when they change, and I'm the only one left besides Klaus, which is why you're here."

"Whatever you think you're doing, you know how protective of me and the baby the Original family is. So, if you hurt me, they will kill you," she looked him in the eyes as she spoke as calmly as she could.

"What makes you think I'm afraid to die?" He challenged back, leaving her speechless. The door to the shack creaked open as Dwayne walked in. Tyler turned to him. "You ready for this?"

"Let's do it," Dwayne answered in a low voice.

Tyler held up a fat syringe with a long needle that he'd removed from the duffle back. Cassandra stared at it with wide, terror filled eyes. "What are you doing?" She whispered as he and Dwayne walked over to her. Dwayne grabbed her free arm, holding her still as Tyler crouched down in front of her. "Tyler, please. No! Tyler—"

"Klaus destroyed everything good in my life," he growled as he pulled up her shirt, exposing her stomach. "So I'm gonna take away the thing he wants most."

"No, please! Tyler, please!" Cassandra shook her head back and forth as she begged him to stop. She screamed as he rammed the needle into her stomach. As he withdrew a significant amount of the baby's blood, she continued to cry out from the horrible explosion of pain she felt in her stomach. When he decided he'd taken enough blood, he pulled the needle out and stood up. Cassandra gasped for breath as her cries subsided, watching in horror as Tyler rammed the needle into Dwayne's neck and injected her baby's blood into him. He removed the needle and snapped Dwayne's neck in one swift movement.

"Oh!" Cassandra gasped and momentarily looked away as Dwayne's body slumped to the floor. Her mouth hung open as she stared at the werewolf Tyler had just killed.

"Don't get all judgy," Tyler huffed as he dragged Dwayne's body over to the door. He walked over and picked up the used syringe off the floor. "Dwayne knew what he was getting into. He volunteered."

"Volunteered?" Cassandra narrowed her eyes. "For you to kill him?"

"Dwayne is a werewolf who died with your blood in his system, the same blood you share with your hybrid baby." He waved his hand around as he spoke.

Cassandra's eyes widened as she realized Tyler's big plan. "You're trying to turn him into a hybrid. That's impossible."

Tyler walked over to the table and placed the syringe back into the duffle bag. "I've been running with wolf packs all over the country. One of them was tight with a witch. She had nightmare visions about your baby and how Klaus could use its blood to make an army of hybrid slaves."

"I am sick of these witches and their premonitions about my baby!" Cassandra growled. "She's just an innocent baby!"

"Maybe," he tilted his head as he eyed Dwayne's body. "Maybe not. That's where Dwayne comes in. You see, he was happy to be the test case. If you haven't noticed, these people don't have much to live for. They'd all welcome the chance to become the superior species. Trouble is, all hybrids are sired to Klaus." He paused and pulled the knife he'd had earlier out of the bag and set it on the table. "They follow his every move. No way I'd let that happen."

Cassandra's mind was reeling from everything Tyler had just told her. "That's why you kidnapped me? How can you be so sure Klaus knows what the baby's blood will do?"

"What do you think? Klaus Mikaelson, killer of men, women, and puppies, all of a sudden wants to be a daddy? Or he's got an ulterior motive," he walked to where Cassandra sat and bent down to talk to her. "Hybrids can walk in the sun. Their bite is lethal to vampires. They'll take over New Orleans by the end of the week, and you know what's gonna stop Klaus then? Nothing."

"No," Cassandra started to shake her head back and forth adamantly. "You're wrong, Tyler. You don't know him the way I do. He _loves_ me. He is thrilled about becoming a father. He would _never_ use our daughter like that."

Tyler stood up straight and shook his head. "If you honestly believe that, then you're just a sad, naive girl."

Before the conversation could go any further, Dwayne woke up with a loud gasp. He grabbed his throat, continuing to gasp for breath as he pushed himself onto his knees and looked up at Tyler.

"You're gonna have to feed on her," Tyler told him.

"What? No!" Cassandra cried out as Tyler picked the knife up off the table. He walked over to her and sliced her neck open, ignoring her whimpers and pleas.

"Do it," he ordered Dwayne.

Dwayne scrambled to his feet and ran over to Cassandra, quickly grabbing her by the neck and sinking his teeth into her open cut. She screamed as he fed on her. When he was done and let go of her, she fell backwards as he began to stumble around violently. Somehow, he was able to find his way to the door and pushed it open as he tumbled outside. Tyler exchanged a wide eyed look with Cassandra before following after Dwayne.

Alone in the shack, Cassandra pulled herself back up to a sitting position and frantically looked around for something she could use to free herself from her zip-tie restraint. She knew she was only going to have a tiny window to escape and had to be as quick as possible. She found her answer lying on the floor a few feet away. Tyler had dropped the knife!

She lay on her stomach and stretched her free arm out as far as she could, but she was unable to reach the handle of the knife. Looking around, her eyes landed on a broken chair leg lying on the floor next to an old towel only a foot away that she _could_ reach. She scrambled over and picked it up. Gripping it tightly in her hand, she crawled back over to the corner next to the stove and tucked it behind her. She knew she'd never be able to take Tyler down, but her hope was that she'd be able to buy enough time for Klaus or Elijah to find her before it was too late.

She hugged her knees to her chest as the door to the shack opened and Tyler calmly walked inside with a grim look on his face. "It worked, didn't it?" She whispered. "He's a hybrid."

"If Klaus gets a hold of you, if he gets that kid, he wins." Tyler spoke in a low voice.

All Cassandra could think about was keeping her unborn baby safe. The next words out of her mouth pained her to say them, and even though she wasn't sure she'd actually go through with it, nor did she really it deep down, she was desperate to get Tyler to let her go. "Then help me hide the baby from him. Help me get out of town, use a witch to cloak me so he can't find me, and I'll hide. Just...help me run!"

He stepped forward and leaned down to pick up the knife he'd dropped when Dwayne was finishing his transition into a hybrid. "He'll find you. He'll take your kid away and he'll make more hybrid monster, slaves who do everything he says."

She tensed as he walked towards her holding the knife out in front of him and pointed at her. "Tyler, whatever you're thinking of doing, there has to be another way." She started to shake her head. "You're not like this. What would Caroline say if she knew what you were doing to me right now? Or my mom? Did you even stop to think about how this would affect them?"

"Caroline and I broke up. I don't care what she or anyone else thinks anymore," He gave a low growl. "Believe it or not, Cass, I don't _want_ to do this, but I have no choice. I can't let him make anymore hybrids. I can't!"

She knew she had to do something quick, so as he crept closer, she gripped the piece of wood she'd been hiding with her left hand and rammed it into his gut. He let out a loud yell, dropping the knife as he keeled over and wrapped his hands around the piece of wood sticking inside him.

"Agh!" He yanked it out and tossed it on the floor. "That was stupid."

Now weaponless and defenseless, Cassandra leaned back into the corner of the wall as her eyes widened in fear. Even though she knew she'd lose, she wasn't going to go quietly, of that much she was certain. He started to walk towards her again when Dwayne appeared.

"Get away from her," he ordered Tyler as he shut the shack door.

Tyler spun around to face him, narrowing his eyes in confusion at the new hybrid. "What do you care?"

"I said _get away!"_ Dwayne raised his voice.

"You got what you wanted. Now get lost," Tyler pointed towards the door.

Cassandra watched the scene unfolding in front of her and had a lightbulb switch on inside her mind. "Dwayne, he's gonna kill me!" She eyed him with big, frantic eyes. "And he's gonna kill you too. He said that hybrids are too dangerous to live. You need to stop him." _Please oh please let this work!_

"SHUT UP!" Tyler turned toward Cassandra as he yelled at her. Dwayne grabbed him by his shirt and threw him back against the side of the shack with supernatural strength. Tyler retaliated and, as they began to fight, Cassandra looked away from and spotted the knife on the floor within her reach. She snatched it up and quickly cut through the zip-tie. With one last fleeting glance over her shoulder over at Tyler and Dwayne, she hurried to the door and slipped outside before they noticed.

She gripped the knife in her hand, running through the woods as fast as her legs would carry her. When she felt she'd put a significant amount of distance between herself and the shack, she darted behind a tree and pressed her back up against it as she caught her breath. She cautiously looked around and was relieved to see Tyler hadn't caught up to her yet.

Her momentary victory quickly ended when she heard the sound of a twig snapping close by, which meant someone was coming. She glanced down at the knife in her hand, knowing what she had to do. For her daughter's sake, she had to fight, kick, scream, do whatever she could to survive. Her baby's life depended on her. With that in the forefront of her mind, she gripped the knife tightly in her hand, took a deep breath, and lunged out from behind the tree with her arm raised, preparing to strike her attacker.

A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, halting her strike in midair. She blinked, completely astonished to see Elijah standing in front of her, the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Forgive me. Thought you were in danger. It appears I was mistaken."

She let go of the knife, letting it fall to the ground, and threw her arms around Elijah's neck as relief washed over her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as her breathing slowed to normal. "You will not believe the god awful day that I'm having," she sighed. She stepped back from him after another moment passed, letting her hands rest on the top of his shoulders while he shifted his hands to her waist.

"I'll let Niklaus know I've found you and I'm taking you home," he told her.

He let go of her and turned to start walking back in the direction of the car, but before he could take more than a step, she grabbed his arm to stop him. "Elijah," He turned back to her, a confused and curious expression on his face. "There's something you need to know about the baby."

He nodded and led her over to where a fallen tree lay and motioned for her to sit down. Once she was seated, he listened intently while she gave him a rundown of everything that had happened after Tyler brought her out to the Bayou. Elijah's face remained devoid of emotion as she told him about Tyler's successful hybrid experiment, making it impossible for her to figure out what he was thinking.

"Tyler was so adamant that Klaus had to know about using the baby's blood to sire more hybrids. Although, the way Dwayne was acting, it was more like he was sired to me," Cassandra stared ahead as she replayed the moment in her mind.

Elijah had been standing with his back to her as he rested his hand against a tree and turned around when she'd finished telling him everything. She glanced up at him and noted his tense jaw as he processed everything.

"I should take you home," he uttered in a soft voice.

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows.

"Look, regardless of my brother's intentions, mine remain the same. I said that I would protect you, even, if need be, from Klaus himself," he replied calmly.

"Protect me from Klaus? Why would….oh my god. You…you agree with Tyler, don't you? Cassandra jumped to her feet and placed her hands on her hips as a scowl appeared on her face. "You think Klaus has known about this all along."

"Cassandra," Elijah sighed, stepping closer to her. "You must understand, there are things—"

"Don't." Cassandra held up a hand, cutting him off abruptly. "I refuse to believe that he knew about it. Neither of you were there at the graduation in Mystic Falls when he gave me this epic apology for his actions and told me how overjoyed he was about our having a child together. I know it in my gut and in my heart, Elijah. Klaus didn't know about this anymore than we did." She waited to see if he had anything else to say, and though he remained silent, she could see doubt written all over his face. "You know what? Forget it. I can see I am wasting my breath."

She dropped her arms and marched past him, heading back towards the encampment Tyler had taken her to. She only walked a few yards when Elijah quietly fell into step besides her. They walked silently, something she was grateful for. When they arrived back at the shack, she saw Dwayne's body propped up against one of the porch beams. Klaus was shutting the screen door to the shack when he heard them coming and turned around.

"Klaus!" Cassandra took off running for him and threw her arms around his neck once she reached him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, bringing one hand up to rest on the back of her head as he inhaled her wonderful scent. She pulled back slightly, intending to kiss him, when she saw the holes and blood stains on his shirt. "Oh my god. Tyler…did you…is he…"

"He's alive. That's all you need to know," he murmured softly. He gave her a quick once over to make sure she was okay. Satisfied that she was otherwise unharmed, he turned their bodies so they were facing Dwayne and Elijah. "Perhaps you can shed some light on the situation. This," he used his foot to push Dwayne's body off the porch and onto the ground. "Would appear to be the body of a hybrid."

"His name was Dwayne," Cassandra answered in a soft voice.

"Well, whoever he was, I didn't sire him. Any idea how that's possible?" Klaus looked from her to Elijah.

"Uh…yeah," Cassandra nodded slowly. "It's a long story. Um…"

"Tyler Lockwood brought Cassandra here to test a theory," Elijah chimed in. "That the blood of her child could be used to sire hybrids. He claims you knew that. Furthermore, you intended to use this knowledge to build an army."

Klaus's eyes widened at hearing the revelation regarding the baby's blood, but they quickly turned hard and cold after hearing that he was being accused of plotting to build a new hybrid army. "And, of course, you assume it's true," he spat back at his brother. "I mean, why else would I show any interest in my own flesh and blood? A heartbroken little crybaby points his finger at me, and my own brother falls in line eager to believe it. How quickly you assume the worst."

"Oh, spare me your indignation. You turned your back on her the moment you learned of the pregnancy. Only your own selfish pursuits brought you back," Elijah hissed. "And what was it you once said to me? 'Every king needs a queen and an heir.'"

"My big brother, so you doubt my intentions," Klaus spoke in a low, grizzly voice. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. Standing beside the noble Elijah, how can I be anything but the lesser brother—a liar, a manipulator, a bastard?"

Cassandra could feel Klaus's body tensing up against her arms. She feared he and Elijah were on the verge of getting into a brawl, and she knew once that happened, she wouldn't be able to stop them. She needed to do something. Fast.

"Hey," Cassandra murmured softly as she placed her hands on the sides of his face and turned his head so he was looking at her. "I never believed it, not for a second. I told Tyler this. And Elijah. I know how you feel about me and our daughter. I haven't forgotten what you said to me the night before we left Mystic Falls. I saw the total shock and surprise in your eyes just now as you learned about the ability to create more hybrids with our baby's blood from Elijah. You truly had no that this was possible. And I truly and wholeheartedly believe that with every fiber of my being."

She exhaled softly when she was done and gazed at his face, waiting for him to speak. He stared back at her in complete and total awe.

"Please say something," she bit the corner of her lip.

"I can't. Cassandra Forbes, you astound me and have left me completely and utterly speechless," he brought his hand up to stroke the side of her face. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned in, brushing his lips against hers in a light, feathery kiss.

She smiled, placing her hand on top of his. "Take me home?"

"With pleasure," he grinned and scooped her into his arms before taking off at vampire speed, leaving Elijah to deal with Dwayne's body.

The ride home in Elijah's car was a quiet one. Cassandra and Klaus sat in the back while Elijah drove, neither one of them wanting to ride shot gun beside him. Klaus insisted Cassandra try to get some rest, so she stretched out and laid her head in his lap. He gently ran his fingers through her blonde hair, putting her to sleep within minutes.

She awoke as the car pulled into the circular driveway of the Plantation House. Once they got out of the car and went inside, Cassandra headed straight up to her room. She couldn't wait to shower and change after the long twenty four hours she'd spent out in the Bayou.

Forty five minutes later she felt as good as new. She spotted her phone resting on her nightstand and momentarily debated calling Caroline, but she quickly shook the idea away, deciding it could wait until the following day. She wandered out of her room and headed next door into Klaus's where she found him standing next to the window gazing outside. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"Hey," she murmured, resting her chin on his shoulder.

He turned his head and brushed his lips lightly against her forehead. "Hey. You've washed away all of the remnants of the Bayou I see."

"Mmm hmm," she nodded. "I can't imagine living in a place like that. I'm such a city girl."

"Yes, it is a bit rustic, isn't it? I think you'd fair better in the French or Italian country side. Perhaps one day I'll take you and our daughter there," he smiled.

"Oh, I am so holding you to that," she grinned. They shared a quiet laugh, then he turned around and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You know, never, in my thousand years on this earth, has anyone had the kind of blind faith and loyalty that you showed me today. There aren't enough words in the English language to describe what that means to me," his eyes pooled with emotion.

"When you love someone, that's what you do. You support them, stand by them, and believe in them, especially when no one else will," She paused and brought a hand up to stroke his cheek. "I love you, Klaus Mikaelson. And I know our daughter will love you, too."

Unable to speak, Klaus pressed his forehead against hers and let out a huge, deep sigh. Cassandra smiled as she ran her fingers gently through his hair and leaned in, pressing her lips against his. He was quick to respond, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. She felt his tongue glide against the edge of her bottom lip and eagerly parted her lips as she snaked her arms around his neck.

After a few minutes of heavy kissing, she began to slowly shuffle backwards towards his bed, pulling him with her. When her calves brushed up against the side of the mattress, she carefully sat down and scooted back, making sure to bring him with her.

"Are you certain this is what you want?" He murmured, gazing down at her.

To answer his question, she reached down for the hem of her shirt and quickly peeled it over her head before tossing it on the floor. He smiled and leaned down, brushing his lips against her bare stomach, and left a trail of kisses as he made his way up her chest to her throat, then continued on to her mouth. She rocked her hips up against his as she tugged at the bottom of his shirt. He raised his arms and allowed her to pull it off of him. She tossed it onto the floor and glided her fingers along his muscular arms up to his shoulders, pulling him as close to her as she could. His hands trailed behind her back and unhooked her bra. His warm fingers gently caressed her, making her eyes roll to the back of her head and her back arch into his gentle touch. As the rest of their clothes came off and they lay together flesh to flesh, he reached for her hand and laced their fingers together.

"I love you, Cassandra Forbes," he whispered before they soon became a tangled mess between the sheets.

* * *

In a darkened bar in the heart of the French Quarter, Marcel sat at a table with Tyler. Two of his day-walker vampires loomed behind him, keeping a careful watch on their boss. Tyler sought out the vampire king of New Orleans after Cassandra had escaped and been rescued by Klaus and Elijah. He was more determined than ever to keep the hybrid baby from being born and turned to the leader of the vampires in the city for help.

"You want to make a deal with me, you gotta offer me something. I already know about Cassandra, the Mikaelson's little human pet. What else you got?" Marcel asked.

"What if I told you that little human pet is carrying Klaus's child," Tyler answered in a low voice. "And if that baby is born, it'll mean the end of the vampire species?"

Marcel's jaw tightened and his eyes became narrow slits as Tyler's shocking news sunk in. He realized in that moment that the entire time Klaus had been in the city, he'd been lying to his face, harboring a deadly secret. Now that he knew about it, all bets were off. Everything was about to change.


	7. An Unexpected Betrayal

**You guys still breathing after the last chapter? It was definitely the most intense up to this point, and certainly won't be the last intense moment or chapter by a long shot. I'm so grateful and thankful for all of you that are reading this and for those leaving reviews. I really do love writing this as much as you love reading it. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Thanks again, and enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - An Unexpected Betrayal**

Cassandra stared at the huge display of fruits and pastries on a push cart that had been wheeled out and left next to a round table covered in a fancy lace tablecloth. She couldn't decide what to put on her plate. Everything looked delicious. After hemming and hawing for a couple of long minutes, she decided to take a little bit of each kind of fruit that was there and a couple of pastries. After filling up her plate, she carried it over to one of the spots at the table and sat down, flashing a smile at the blonde vampire who was already seated and sipping from a steamy mug. She'd been pleasantly surprised to find Rebekah had returned to town after learning that Tyler had taken her. The fact that Rebekah cared enough to return meant the world to her.

Before she had the chance to say anything, Klaus appeared. He held a small glass filled with a dark red substance in one hand. She didn't have to ask to know what it was he was drinking. He walked over to where Cassandra sat and kissed her cheek before taking a seat beside her. She flashed him a bright smile as she plucked a grape from the bundle on her plate and popped it into her mouth. He smiled back and reached under the table with his free hand, rubbing her upper leg as he took a drink from the small glass.

"Ugh, spare me the googly eyes until after I've finished my brekkie, will you?" Rebekah groaned.

Turning to Rebekah, Klaus chuckled softy as he leaned back in his chair. "Sister, if you had a night like we did last night, you'd be in a pleasant mood this morning, too."

Cassandra stared at her plate and continued to nibble on a pastry as the heat rose in her cheeks. "Can we _please_ talk about something else…anything else? Please." She begged.

"Yes, lets. Where's Elijah?" Rebekah asked, happy to steer the conversation.

"Oh, he's probably up in his study, stewing over the fact that Cassandra sided with me instead of him over whether or not I have honorable intentions towards our child," Klaus did not hide the satisfaction in his voice. He quickly brought her up to speed on what had transpired in the Bayou with Tyler Lockwood and his theory that the baby's blood could make more hybrids, which had been proved to be right.

"Elijah agrees with Tyler. They think Klaus has known about being able to use the baby's blood to create hybrids the entire time," Cassandra explained. She paused and turned to Klaus, taking his hand in hers and lacing their fingers together. "I disagree with both of them."

Klaus smiled at her and gave her hand a small squeeze before shifting his gaze back to Rebekah. "Tell me, little sister. What do you believe?"

"I believe…" Rebekah paused and picked up her mug, taking another sip from it as she thought her answer over. "That if I voice my opinion there's a chance I could wind up with a dagger in my heart again."

"So you agree with our brother, then. Is that it?"

"Can you blame us, Nik? After everything you've done to us in the past, everything you've done to others, solely in the name of reaching whatever treacherous ends you had at the time, what are we supposed to think?"

Cassandra quickly placed her other hand on top of Klaus's in the hopes that he'd remain calm and collected. She could see the anger flash in his eyes, but instead of releasing it and lashing out at his sister, he relaxed his shoulders and exhaled slowly.

"Think whatever you want, Rebekah," he spoke in a low, icy voice. "It does not matter to me anymore. What _is_ important is what Cassandra believes, and she's made her opinion quite clear. Now then, on to more pressing matters, like how I'll be needing you in my plot against Marcel since Elijah's abandoned me once again," he paused to take a drink of blood from his glass. "Don't expect to be leaving town anytime soon."

"Give me one good reason why I should help you," Rebekah huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"You're my family," Klaus answered simply, though there was no mistaking the wicked glimmer in his eyes as he continued to speak. "Besides, who better to spy on Marcel then the girl he so clearly loves? You can tell me all his secrets, like how did he find us here? Any idea about that, little sister?"

Cassandra saw a flash of worry flicker in Rebekah's eyes. "How should I know why Marcel does what he does?" The blonde Original Vampire muttered.

"You think I don't know about your engineered run-ins all over the quarter? I know you've had private chats with him," Klaus growled in a low voice. "So just tell me what secrets he's confided to you. Is he plotting against me?"

Rebekah blinked as she thought carefully about how to answer, than slowly leaned in towards the table. "My poor brother, so paranoid. Marcel knows nothing. He is not plotting against you. He simply thinks you're in a quarrel, in need of making up."

Klaus sighed and gave a slow nod of his head. "Perhaps we will. After all," he leaned forward and pointed at her. "You know I'm capable of forgiving those who disappoint me as soon as they've seen the error of their ways and suffered for them. You'd do well to remember that."

"You never let me forget," Rebekah muttered under her breath as Klaus turned and brought Cassandra's hand up to his lips, kissing it softly before releasing it and standing up to leave the room.

Once he was gone, Cassandra let out a sigh and glanced up at Rebekah. "Now that he's done grilling you, I have a question. A favor to ask you, actually. One I think you'll be more than willing to help me with."

"I'm all ears, now that it's just us girls," Rebekah smiled.

"I'm running out of clothes that fit. I need maternity clothes," Cassandra told her.

Rebekah's lips curled into a giant grin. "Oh! A shopping trip. Perfect!"

"Absolutely not!" Klaus appeared in the room out of nowhere.

Cassandra sighed, kicking herself for not realizing he was still listening in even though he'd left the room.

Rebekah flashed Cassandra a sympathetic glance before turning her head towards Klaus. "She needs clothes that will fit her growing baby oven, Nik. Surely you can understand that."

He continued to shake his head. "It's too dangerous for her to be out in the Quarter right now. Now that Marcel knows she is here, he'll be curious about her. He's probably got his day-walkers keeping their eyes open on the off chance that they spot her like they did before. You may have been able to save her once, but—"

"So, even though I'm no longer linked to Sophie Deveraux, I'm still stuck here under house arrest?" Cassandra folded her arms as she let out an annoyed groan. "Awesome."

"Don't worry, Cassandra. I'll make some calls and have a maternity wardrobe brought here for you," Rebekah smiled.

"Fine," Klaus sighed. "I suppose there's no harm in that."

"Good. Then it's settled," Rebekah nodded once.

"Excellent," Cassandra grinned, pleased with the outcome. She knew Rebekah had impeccable taste when it came to fashion, so she was sure the maternity clothes she selected to be brought over would be stylish and not at all frumpy looking. She could hardly wait for the new clothes to be purchased and delivered.

* * *

A dozen vampires hung around in the dark courtyard of The Abattoir, the enormous compound originally built by the Mikaelson family and the current residence of the man running the city, Marcel Gerard. They were waiting for their leader to arrive, having been notified that he had something to tell them. Some were drinking and playing cards while they waited.

Among the dozen vampires was the face of Tyler Lockwood. After he'd dropped the big pregnancy bombshell on Marcel, a meeting had been set up so he could explain to Marcel's most trusted associates what they now knew.

"All right, I'm here. Let's do this," Marcel came walking in to the darkened room. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked at him as he stood next to Tyler and continued speaking. "I'll keep this simple. This kid," he motioned at Tyler. "Is an old enemy of your favorite person Klaus. Now, he's got plenty to say about what that traitorous son of a bitch has been up to behind my back. Now, for those of you faint of heart, there's the door. Because those who stick around, you're signing up for battle."

When no one made a move to leave, Marcel nodded, pleased at the sign of loyalty. He motioned for everyone to take a seat around Tyler. Once everyone was seated and ready, Tyler began to speak.

"You all know Klaus wasn't always the hybrid. Well, when he broke the curse that kept his werewolf side dormant, somewhere in all that, certain parts were now able to trump his vampire side, like the ability to pass on the werewolf gene," Tyler began to explain. He adjusted his posture in the chair he was seated in, sitting up straighter as he continued. "That's where the human girl he's been hiding from you comes in. I've known her my whole life. She was a normal, small town girl. She got good grades, graduated high school and went off to college where she got a degree in journalism. Then she came back to town and got swept up under Klaus's spell and slept with him. Now she's pregnant with his kid."

One of the vampires, Diego, scoffed in disbelief. "What the hell is this?" He shook his head.

"Just listen," Marcel spoke in a calm voice as his eyes flickered onto Diego. Diego tightened his jaw and refocused his attention on Tyler.

"When Klaus became the hybrid, he figured out a way to turn full-bred werewolves into creatures like him," Tyler went on. "You're looking at one of them. On the plus side, we had all the perks of being vampires. We were stronger, faster, and the toxins in our bites could still kill a vampire, but on the downside we were loyal to him, like, supernaturally loyal."

"Right, and that's why you're here spilling all his secrets?" Diego was still skeptical about everything Tyler was saying

"No, that's the point, Diego," Marcel jumped into the conversation. "He figured out a way to break free of it."

"And I helped the rest of them too. Then Klaus killed them for their betrayal." Tyler finished.

A door to the dark room they were all in opened, letting in the bright sunlight from outside in the courtyard, as Rebekah walked in. "Because that is what Klaus does." She shut the door and walked farther into the room. "Don't mind me. I'm fascinated by this story. Hello, Tyler."

"Rebekah," Tyler eyed her warily as he leaned forward in his seat. "Long time, no see."

"What Tyler was about to tell you is that my brother can use his baby's blood to sire more hybrids," Rebekah went on to address the vampires in the room. "What you will all figure out is that vampires don't stand a chance. So, Tyler, I assume you were trying to rally this lot into making sure the baby isn't born."

"Yeah," he stood up. "You don't like it, go ahead and take your brother's side, but you know I'm right."

"I believe you've mistaken the lady's intentions," Marcel spoke calmly to Tyler.

"All right, what's goin' on?" Diego was confused and growing impatient.

"You're absolutely right, Tyler," Rebekah nodded her head slowly. "My brother is a crap enough individual as it is, and he's got that poor girl completely whipped. The last thing he needs is to sire a superior species." She paused and shifted her eyes onto Marcel who gazed back at her with a smile. "Go on, you can tell them."

"She's not here to fight us," he grinned. "She's here to help us."

"That's right," she smiled as Tyler and the other vampires stared at her in surprise. But first—" She vamp-sped over to Tyler and snapped his neck, sending him down to the floor in a heap, and plopped down in the chair he'd been sitting in. "Whew, that is enough talk about harming that baby. Klaus is the one we're putting a stop to."

After filling the group of vampires in on their plan to take down Klaus, Marcel and Rebekah dragged Tyler's lifeless body down to the basement, a place he'd named _The Garden_. It was the place he drained and imprisoned any vampires who broke his rules or stood against him.

"Where do you want him?" Marcel asked after dropping Tyler's body onto the ground.

"Well, just put him anywhere until Klaus is taken care of," Rebekah walked down the steps into The Garden with her arms folded against her chest. Marcel motioned for one his guys to come over and move Tyler's body to the back part of the place. "Where are we gonna put Klaus? He needs to be away from all the others. We don't want him fomenting descent. You know he has a knack with words. He could talk his way out of hell."

"Yeah, I got a spot picked out for him in the back," Marcel motioned with his head. "Only person he's gonna be talking to for the next fifty two years is himself."

"Fifty two?" Rebekah eyed Marcel, confused.

"One for each year he kept you daggered in the eighteen hundreds."

"You mean, you let him keep me daggered."

Marcel hung his head and stepped towards her. "And I'll spend every year Klaus is in here apologizing to you for it."

"Well, I'll settle for long enough to experience just a little bit of happiness and ensure that my niece isn't turned into a hybrid breeding machine," Rebekah murmured softly.

"What about Cassandra? My guess she's not going to go along willingly with this," Marcel stared at her intently.

"She can be compelled easily enough. She doesn't ingest vervain, she wears it in a necklace. Shouldn't be hard to get the necklace away from her when the time comes," Rebekah sighed and began to walk around. "It's gonna be tough to keep him in here. That little witch of yours would put the odds in our favor."

Marcel vetoed the idea. "I can't risk it. She's got less and less control over her magic lately. I can't even get her out of the church attic, much less rely on her to go to battle against Klaus."

Rebekah turned around to face him. "Then we'll need your very best warriors. Klaus is strong and crafty, and betrayal makes him particularly nasty." She whispered.

"What we're doing is nothing Klaus hasn't done to both you and your brother a dozen times over," Marcel tried to reassure her that she was doing the right thing. He stepped closer to her and brought his hands up to cup the sides of her face. "You're not getting second thoughts now, are you?"

She gave a small shake of her head. "No, these aren't second thoughts. They're feelings of regret. I should have buried them a hundred years ago." She leaned her forehead against his and closed her eyes. "A hundred years we could've been together."

Marcel raised his head and kissed her forehead, then lowered his lips onto her mouth and kissed her deeply, losing himself in the moment.

* * *

Cassandra was settled into one of the chairs out on the second floor patio as she talked to her sister, Caroline, on the phone while Klaus was out meeting up with Josh. Caroline had been appalled to learn about what Tyler had done. She apologized profusely for not telling Cassandra about Bonnie's death or her breakup with Tyler.

"Do you think Klaus has known about being able to use the baby's blood to make more hybrids the entire time?" Cassandra asked Caroline. She explained how both Rebekah and Elijah were in agreement with Tyler, but she wholeheartedly disagreed. "I know you hate him, but if you could have seen the look in his eyes. He was completely shocked, Care."

"I'm not sure I'm the best person to talk to about this…" Caroline replied slowly.

Cassandra let out an exasperated sigh. "You agree with the others, don't you?"

"Look, it doesn't matter what I think. Not really. If your gut is telling you to trust him, then go with it. As much as I hate him, I can't deny that he _does_ care about you."

"Thanks, sis. I think. Anyway, enough about me and my troubles. How are things with you? You all packed up and ready to head out to the dorms at Whitmore?"

"Yeah!" Caroline answered in excitement. She went on to tell her all about her class schedule and other college related things. Cassandra couldn't help remembering when she went off to college as she listened.

By the time Cassandra ended the phone call with her sister, the sun was starting to set. She smiled to herself, her spirits feeling significantly lifted after getting to talk and catch up with Caroline, despite some of the heavier things they had discussed. She gazed at the sky for a long moment, taking in the different tones of pink and purple. Thinking quickly, she snapped a photo with her phone and sent it to her mom and sister before heading back inside. She was passing by Klaus's room when an outline by the window caused her to stop mid-step and lean her head back to do a double take into the room. The outline, she realized instantly, was actually Klaus.

"Hey. I didn't know you were back. When did—" She was halfway to him when she stopped short as he turned around to face her, her eyes instantly landing on the silver dagger he held in his hand. "What's going on? Why do you have that?"

"Marcel had it in his possession, courtesy of my backstabbing little sister," Klaus answered in a whisper. "Fortunately, I was able to get it back."

Cassandra stared at him, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "What? Why on earth would she hand it over to him?"

"Because," Klaus walked up to her. "She and Marcel conspired to take me down."

"What?" Cassandra squeaked as her eyes widened in horror. The sound of approaching footsteps caused Cassandra to spin around and find Rebekah entering the room. "Why, Rebekah?"

"Cassandra, I..." Rebekah's voice trembled.

"How could you do this to me? Especially after what I went through in Mystic Falls when Alaric Saltzman killed him with the white oak stake right in front of us. You were there. You saw how devastated and broken I was when I thought I'd lost him forever. I can't believe you'd even consider putting me through that again!" Cassandra hissed sharply. She shifted her gaze to Elijah. "Did you know about this?"

"No," he shook his head adamantly. "I can assure you, I did not. If I had, I would have stopped her."

"Of course you would have," Klaus scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Because noble Elijah always has to be the hero."

"Tell me, Rebekah," Cassandra turned her attention back to the blonde Original, placing a hand on her stomach while she clenched the other in a fist. "Did you even stop to think about how this decision would affect my daughter? The fact that you'd even consider doing something that would keep her from knowing her own father...god, I can't even..." She paused and turned away to collect herself. Her eyes landed on the silver dagger in Klaus's hand. Fueled by her anger, she snatched it out of his hand and held it pointed out at Rebekah, catching all three Mikaelsons off guard.

"I should ram this through your heart after what you did!" Cassandra growled. "Then _you_ would know what a dagger to the heart by someone you thought you could trust feels like!"

Rebekah stared at the dagger with wide, fearful eyes. No one moved for a long moment as Cassandra's outstretched hand shook with fury. Then Klaus calmly placed his hand on top of hers and slowly brought her arm back down to her side.

"Easy, love," he whispered in a soothing voice. He kept his hand on top of hers so she couldn't make any sudden moves with the dagger as he turned his gaze back to his siblings. "What have I done lately, other than cooperate? I bowed down to you, brother, to make up for daggering you for the greater good of our plan to reclaim our home, looked the other way, sister, while you repeat the same cycle with Marcel, falling again for a man you shouldn't be with, while he controls the empire that we built, that he took! Now, I make no excuses for past sins, but in the one moment when you two could have chosen to stand by me as Cassandra did, to believe in me, and believe my intentions for my own child were pure, you chose to stand against me, to side with my enemies. I wanted our home back. Now I have it. So Cassandra and I are going to live there, and the two of you, you can stay here together and rot."

He turned to Cassandra and held his other hand out. She knew what he wanted and let out a soft sigh as she handed over the silver dagger. She wasn't sure what he was going to do, and watched in awe as he flipped it around in his hand and held the hilt side out to Elijah. After Elijah took it, Klaus held his hand out to Cassandra. She didn't hesitate to slip her hand in his and walked out of the room with him, leaving a stunned Elijah and Rebekah behind. Klaus quickly helped her gather everything she wanted to bring with her to Klaus's huge home in the Quarter, and together they loaded up his car and drove away under the blackened, night sky.

* * *

Cami sat in one of the empty pews at St. Anne's Church where her uncle was the priest, staring at a symbol drawn on a piece of paper. She'd spent the better part of the day trying to decipher it. Her Uncle, Father Kieran, noticed her presence and walked down the aisle, taking a seat beside her.

"I think I figured it out," she paused and glanced up at him. "The note. I was thinking about it—my lost time, my foggy brain. I thought I must be going crazy like Sean, but then I thought, 'What if somewhere in my subconscious I was trying to send myself a message'. I was."

She handed the piece of paper to her uncle. He stared at it, reading the message she'd managed to decode. _KLAUS PICAYUNE 1919_. She pulled out a second sheet of paper from a notebook she had on her lap.

"I found this in the _Picayune_ Newspaper archives from 1919," she handed the paper to him. It was the front page of the archived paper with a photo in the center. She handed him an enlarged copy of it. "Look at this photo."

He stared down at the black and white picture of Klaus and Marcel all dressed up at the Opera House, recognizing them instantly. He remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

"Those men," Cami continued. "I know them. I know both of them. My friend is dating one of them and is pregnant with his kid."

Something incredibly strange was going on, and she intended to get to the bottom of it once and for all.


	8. The Race To Stop A Wolf Hunt

**Happy New Year my lovelies! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I sure did, though I was visiting family who live in the Northwest where it's thirty degrees colder than what I'm used to. Anyway, time to shake off all the holiday cheer muddling the brain and get back to focusing on my beloved story. Cassandra finally gets to meet a canon character that was introduced a few chapters back. Any guesses who? Heh, I'm pretty confident you can all guess if you're familiar enough with the events at this point. There are a lot of little moments in this chapter that I had a lot of fun writing. I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you all so much for the continued love for this story. It means the world to me!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - The Race To Stop A Wolf Hunt**

Sitting at the head of a long banquet table, Klaus held a gold rimmed champagne flute in his hand and lightly tapped the side of it with his fork to gain the attention of his guests. After moving back into his former home, he did not waste any time gathering together Marcel and his inner circle of trusted vampires to smooth out the air after everything that had transpired the night before.

Seated opposite of Klaus at the other end of the table, Cassandra tried to ignore the uneasy feeling she felt from being around so many vampires. She would have preferred to skip the whole affair, but Klaus had insisted she be there. So reluctantly she agreed.

After everyone at the table focused their attention on Klaus, he stood and began to speak. "Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift—immortality. After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt, for its beauties and its sorrows to diminish with time, but as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine."

He waved the wait staff over with two of his fingers. There was a waiter or waitress for each of the vampire guests. As Klaus continued to give his toast, each waiter and waitress rolled up their sleeves and slit their wrists before holding them over the bowls placed in front of each guest, letting the stream of blood flow down into them. Though Cassandra looked down at her own plate while it happened, she could still hear the sound of the streams of blood hitting the ceramic china and shuddered inwardly.

"Insatiable need, exquisite pain," Klaus continued. "Our victories, and our defeats. To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow."

"And the party never end," Marcel joined in, raising his own glass. Klaus smiled at him in approval.

"To New Orleans," Diego raised his glass, following Marcel's lead after remembering a private conversation he'd had with the former king of the city where Marcel reassured him all would work itself out in time and that their fight wasn't over yet.

"To New Orleans," Klaus agreed. The remaining guests raised their glasses and chanted the same sentiment before taking a sip as is customary after a toast is given. After taking a drink from his own glass, Klaus placed it back on the table as he continued to address everyone. "I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership, and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No. My intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have, what Marcel, in fact, took..." He paused, walking a few steps over to where Marcel sat and placed a hand on his shoulder. "And built into this—a true community of vampires."

"What about her?" Diego asked, pointing at Cassandra. "The human?"

Klaus picked up his glass and began to make his way around the table to the other end where Cassandra sat. As he spoke, she did her best to remain straight faced as she briefly met the eyes of the other guests. "Had you let me finish, Diego, you would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address." He came to a stop behind her chair. "As many of you know, the girl is carrying my child. Consequently, I trust you will all pay her the appropriate respect."

He paused and placed a hand on Cassandra's shoulder. "However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create more hybrids. I assure you, I do not."

Cassandra had a feeling it was going to take a lot more than Klaus's words to convince the group of vampires around the table that he meant every word. Klaus seemed to realize this as well.

"It appears I will have to earn your trust," he announced as he walked back to the head of the table. "Very well. We'll eliminate the root of your anxiety. You see, how can I sire any hybrids if there are no werewolves alive in the Bayou to turn?"

"What?" Cassandra gasped softly, staring at him in horror. "Klaus, no."

Klaus pressed on, completely ignoring Cassandra's protest. "So eat, drink, and be merry, and tomorrow I suggest you have yourselves a little wolf hunt. Go ahead. Have fun. Kill them all."

Cassandra shot daggers at Klaus with her eyes as the meal progressed. She couldn't believe he'd given the vampires permission to slaughter the wolves that had saved her life. Watching him converse and laugh with Marcel at the other end of the table only fueled her anger more.

A waiter came up a moment later and placed a plate of food in front of her. She stared at it, quickly realizing she'd lost her appetite. She pushed it a couple of inches away from her and folded her arms as she leaned back in her seat. She sat this way for a long five minutes before deciding she'd had enough. She quietly rose from the table and headed up the staircase that she'd been fortunate enough to be only a couple feet from.

She kept her eyes fixed on the path in front of her as she made her way to the room she and Klaus now shared. Once she got there, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand where she'd left it charging and punched in a text to Hayley. _Klaus has control of the French Quarter now. He's given the vampires his blessing to hunt down your pack first thing tomorrow. You guys need to get out while you can!_ She hit send and placed her phone back on the nightstand with a heavy sigh, then laid down on her side, putting her back towards the door. Her phone buzzed a moment later. She leaned up and reached out for it, discovering a reply on the screen from Hayley. _Thx for the heads up!_

 _Well, at least they know so Marcel's stupid vampires can't get the jump on them,_ she sighed, tucking an arm under the pillow her head was resting on. She stared at the wall trying to figure out what else she could do to help the wolves, but the longer she thought about it, the angrier she grew. She didn't know long she'd been laying there, stewing over it, when she felt a gentle hand against her back.

"Are you feeling all right, love?" Klaus murmured softly as he sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. "You left your plate entirely untouched."

"I'm fine," she replied, though it came out sounding more snappy than she intended.

"No. Clearly, you are not fine, judging by the tone in your voice. You're upset," he frowned. "Why?"

Cassandra let out a deep breath before shifting onto her back to make eye contact with him. "Look, I get that you need those vampires to trust you, but at the expense of the Bayou wolves? They're innocent. They don't deserve this...this death sentence, all in the name of getting people to trust you. Isn't there something else you can do to win them over?"

"Why do you care so much about what happens to the them?" Klaus asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"They saved my life, Klaus. Both me and the baby would be dead at the hands of those crazy witches if it weren't for those wolves."

"And I will be forever grateful to them for that, but I have no other options. Marcel's men aren't as quick to have faith in me like you are. I'm sorry it has to be this way, sweetheart, but I _need_ them to trust me."

She scoffed, shaking her head back and forth in disagreement. Seeing that they were at a stalemate, he slowly rose to his feet and leaned over her, running a hand down the side of her head as he brushed his lips against her cheek. She remained still, listening to the sound of his footsteps as he left the room and closed the door behind him.

With a low grumble, she stared up at the ceiling while she racked her brain for another way to help the wolves. She had no idea if they would heed the warning she'd passed on to Hayley, or if they would stay and fight, and she wasn't going to leave it to fate. _Maybe I can convince Elijah to help me,_ she decided after a little while. Her eyes drifted over to where her phone was, but she knew she couldn't call him yet. She needed to wait until there weren't so many vampires with super-hearing nearby. Resigned to this fact, she sighed and grabbed the pregnancy book from the nightstand where she'd last left it and began flipping through it, reading until she grew sleepy and dozed off.

The compound was quiet when Cassandra awoke sometime later. Her stomach gave a loud grumble, causing her to realize she was starving after skipping dinner. She quickly climbed off the bed and shuffled to the door. She opened it slowly and stepped out into the dim hallway, taking a quick glance around to see if anyone was lurking. Relieved to not find anyone in the shadows, she hurried down the long hallway to the stairs. As she headed down to the first floor, she noticed that the long banquet table had been cleared off.

She let out a huge sigh of relief once she reached the huge kitchen. She took her time rummaging through cupboards and drawers until she'd decided on making herself a sandwich. She grabbed everything necessary from the refrigerator and the pantry and set them all on the counter. As she reached for the bread, she felt a presence behind her. She tensed until a familiar pair of arms snaked their way around her waist.

"Still mad at me, love?" Klaus whispered in her ear, sending a chill down her spine.

"Yep," she answered in a firm voice, refusing to succumb to his charms.

He brought his hand up and brushed her hair off to one side before bringing his lips down to her exposed neck as she started to open the bag of bread in her hand. She froze as he began to kiss her skin over and over, gently sucking and nipping at it with his teeth.

"And now?" He whispered again in huskier voice.

"Y..yes," her voice was a little softer and shakier.

"Really?" He hummed. "Hmmm..."

He continued to kiss her neck as he placed a hand on her stomach and slowly moved it farther down, slipping it between her legs. She let out a breathy gasp as he teased her, all thoughts of anger slowly fading away with each shockwave of pleasure that rippled through her body. He pressed his body up against hers, allowing her to feel his growing excitement, sending her over the edge. She spun around in his arms and slammed her lips against his, kissing him fervently as she gripped his shoulders. Stretching out an arm, Klaus shoved the food items on the counter aside and lifted Cassandra up on to it. He stepped forward between her legs, running his hands along her sides and back as she began to undo his belt buckle. He chuckled softly against her lips and moved his hands to her legs, securing them around his waist before vamp-running up to their room. He gently laid her back onto the bed and pulled his shirt over his head before ripping hers off and resumed kissing her again.

"Just so you know, this doesn't change anything. I'm still mad at you," she murmured softly as she unbuttoned his pants and began to push them down his hips.

He leaned back and gazed down at her with a wicked sparkle in his eyes. "Oh, we'll see about that."

-o-

Cassandra let out a soft sigh as her eyes fluttered open the following morning. Her lips curled into a smile as the memory of the night before came rolling back into her mind. She rolled over to see if Klaus was awake and was surprised to discover his side of the bed was empty. She frowned as she sat up, hugging the covers against her naked body. It wasn't like him to leave her to wake up alone. She scooted over and started to reach for her phone on the night stand when the door to the bedroom opened and Klaus came walking in carrying a tray of assorted fruits and pastries, along with a steaming mug of coffee.

"Oh good, you're awake," he smiled as he walked over and set the tray down in front of her. "I thought perhaps you'd enjoy breakfast in bed. You must be ravenous after last night."

"Uh huh," she nodded as her cheeks grew warm. Their time together the previous night had been the most intense experience she'd ever had. "I..uh, I read that women are a lot more...uh..sensitive when they're pregnant..which in turn intensifies the whole uh..climatic experience."

"I think we more than proved that theory correct, wouldn't you say, love?" Klaus smirked. She gave a silent nod and reached for the mug, bringing it up to her lips to take a sip. "Well, as much as I would love to continue this conversation, I have a few things I need to go take care of so I am afraid I must go."

He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss before leaving her to eat alone in their room. She didn't waste any time digging into the food he brought her. When she was done she sent Elijah a text, telling him she needed his help and asked if he could come to the compound. After hitting send, she replaced her phone onto the nightstand and disappeared into the connecting bathroom to shower.

She emerged a short time later and changed into a pair of stretchy leggings and a loose fitting tunic style top, the last remaining articles of clothing she had that still fit. She slipped on some comfortable shoes and grabbed her phone before heading downstairs. She was disappointed to see no response from Elijah. She didn't know when Marcel's vampires were planning to head out to the Bayou, and wondered if she was already too late to save the werewolves from being slaughtered. Once she was downstairs she headed towards the corridor that led to the gate, hoping to get a little bit of privacy to that she could call Elijah. She pulled her phone out of her pocket as she crept towards the gate, glancing over her shoulder briefly to make sure she wasn't being followed. When she looked straight ahead again, she nearly jumped out of her skin as she discovered Diego blocking her path.

"Goin' somewhere?" He asked, arching his eyebrows.

"No. I..I was just looking for a little privacy to make a phone call," Cassandra answered, waving her hand that was clutching her phone.

Diego's eyed her suspiciously and stepped towards her. "Who you callin'? You trying to warn the wolves?"

He started to reach for her arm when Elijah appeared and grabbed him by the shoulder. He effortlessly shoved Diego against the wall, knocking him out.

"I received your message," Elijah gave her a courteous nod.

"Oh, good," Cassandra sighed in relief. "Elijah, I need to ask you for a really big favor. It's—"

He held up a hand, cutting her off and motioned with his head to the area behind her. She turned around right as two other vampires went flying into the wall, courtesy of Rebekah, who came walking up to where she and Elijah stood.

Cassandra turned back to Elijah with a scowl on her face. "What's _she_ doing here? I asked for _your_ help. Not hers."

"I know," Elijah's face softened. "And if you want my help, you'll hear her out first. That's the deal."

"Fine," Cassandra hissed softly and turned around to face Rebekah again. She folded her arms across her chest. "Go ahead. Speak."

"Look, I'm sorry for what I did," Rebekah began. "I never wanted to betray you, but I had no choice. That bratty hybrid Tyler Lockwood was determined to get Marcel and his men to jump aboard the 'kill-the-hybrid-baby' train, and I couldn't let that happen. So I gave them a new target. And it worked. I never thought they'd actually succeed in taking Nik down, and I was right. I did what I had to do to ensure the safety and survival of both my niece and her mother. Also, Elijah and I are both sorry for not taking our brother's side like you did regarding his intentions towards the baby. We realized too late that Tyler's assumptions were wrong."

"Maybe not...too late, that is," Cassandra's lips slowly curled upward into a small smile. "I'll forgive you...if you and Elijah will help me with something. The wolves that saved me, the pack my friend Hayley's a part of, they're in danger." She quickly filled them in on what had transpired the previous night at dinner, ending with the news that Klaus had given Marcel's vampires the green light to hunt down the Bayou wolves. "They saved my life. I'd never forgive myself if I knowingly stood by and let them die without first doing everything I could to save them. Please. You _have_ to help them."

"Out in the Bayou?" Rebekah hissed in a low voice. "Do we look like a bloody vampire rescue squad?"

"Rebekah," Elijah tightened his jaw and gave her a firm stare. "Come. We have some werewolves to save."

"Thank you," Cassandra murmured as Rebekah scoffed and motioned for Elijah to lead the way. Elijah nodded silently at Cassandra before fleeing with his sister. Cassandra let out a sigh as she scurried out of the corridor, putting as much distance between herself and the unconscious vampires as she could. She said a silent prayer, hoping between her warning to Hayley and the assistance of Elijah and Rebekah, that the wolves would make it out of this planned attack alive.

-o-

Marcel's crew of vampires frantically searched the camp in the Bayou for werewolves, flipping over tables and anything else that looked like a hiding place. Diego spotted a fire ring with a stream of smoke still coming out of the burned pile of wood.

"Hey, they were obviously just here. Fan out, find them, and bring me some heads," Diego ordered with a wave of his hand as he walked up to the fire and knelt down to get a closer look.

"I'd rather you didn't," Elijah's voice called out coolly as he and Rebekah woodshed and appeared a few feet away from Diego.

Diego slowly stood back up and turned around to face the two Originals. 'The hell are you doing out here?"

"I've come to suggest you seek other hunting grounds," Elijah replied as he glanced off to the side.

"Suggestion noted," Diego blinked and tightened his jaw. He gave no indication that he intended to listen.

Sensing this, Rebekah walked up to him. "Well, Diego, it would be such a shame to have to rearrange that pretty face," she murmured, reaching a hand out touch him. He grabbed her wrist, stopping her before she was able to and threw her arm back down.

"What the hell you care about wolves?" His eyes shot back onto Elijah.

With his hands tucked inside his black peacoat, Elijah began to walk towards Diego as an amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Generally, I don't. However this particular clan is not to be touched. Goodbye."

"Bye," Rebekah whispered, flashing her own tiny smile at the curly haired vampire.

Diego turned around and motioned to the rest of his crew with his finger. "Nothing here, anyway." He walked off and gave a sharp, high pitched whistle. The rest of the vampires quickly fell in line behind him, following him away from the camp. Rebekah watched as they fled and spun around to face her brother.

"Great," she rested her hands on her hips. "I guess our job here is done."

Elijah stared straight ahead, having caught the sound of a nearby human heartbeat. "Not quite," he murmured, vamp-speeding over to where a young, blonde woman was lurking behind some trees. He approached her slowly, speaking in a soft tone. "We're not here to harm you."

The woman spun around to face him and pulled back the hood she had covering her head. "I remember you. You were here the other day, with the girl, Hayley's friend, the one who's pregnant with the hybrid baby. She sent you here to protect us, didn't she? Tell her we appreciate the concern, but we've been looking out for ourselves for a while now. Nobody finds us unless we want to be found."

"Well, we found you, so…" Rebekah appeared, standing a few feet away.

"Like I said," the Bayou wolf girl tilted her head, letting her previous words sink in again. She turned and walked towards Elijah as she pulled a folded up map out of the bag she was carrying over her shoulder. "There's something I thought you and your family should know about."

She lead them over to a small table and opened unfolded the map so she could lay it down for them to see. Using a long, pointed stake she'd already armed herself with, she began pointing at areas on the map. "We're surrounded by twenty thousand acres of swamp. The ones born here know it like the backs of our hands. We'll be fine out here, but, here, newcomers from out of state, not my kin, but word spread about that girl's baby. Lot of werewolves want to see this miracle pregnancy for themselves, only now the vampires are out looking for blood, and all these werewolves new to the Bayou, they might not know where to hide."

"You say that like we're supposed to care," Rebekah spoke dryly.

The werewolf girl turned to look at her. "Believe me, you're gonna want them kept alive."

"And why is that?" Elijah asked, his lips parted slightly in curiosity.

"See for yourself," the werewolf girl told him.

-o-

Anxious to hear from Elijah and Rebekah, Cassandra paced around the compound, searching for distractions. With Klaus and Marcel out taking care of business in the Quarter, and Marcel's vampire crew in the Bayou, she pretty much had the run of the place. After wandering around the second floor, she began exploring the main floor. As she was walking past the door she knew led to the massive garage full of antique cars, she heard faint voices coming from inside. She cautiously approached the doorway and peered inside, discovering the voices she heard belonged to Josh, a vampire she'd previously met, and a young girl with dark brown hair. She hadn't planned on making herself known—until the girl said Klaus's name.

"It's okay. You can trust Marcel, and if Klaus tries to hurt you, I'll hurt him," the girl tried to reassure Josh he was safe.

"I'm sure if you could actually stop Klaus, you would have done it already," Cassandra stepped inside and leaned against the stone wall next to the entry way with her arms folded against her chest. Her voice startled the girl, causing her to spin around to face Cassandra.

"You're Cassandra. Klaus's wife," the girl realized.

Cassandra's eyes widened as she was caught completely off guard by the statement. "Wife? Wow. Um…no, we're not married. I mean, yeah, we're together, but I'm more like..his girlfriend. And soon-to-be mother of his miracle hybrid baby." She paused a beat as the realization of who the girl standing before her was. "You must be Marcel's secret weapon witch, Davina. And I've already had the pleasure of meeting Josh, who, by the way, is either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid for showing his face around here right now."

"A little of both, I think," Josh nodded.

"Thank you for unlinking me from Sophie," Cassandra flashed Davina a grateful smile. "You saved my baby's life. Well and mine too." She paused and shifted her eyes onto Josh. "Don't worry. I won't say anything about you being here. I know you're an innocent victim that Klaus and Marcel took advantage of."

"Oh. That's…wow. Thanks," Josh smiled back at her. She met Davina's eyes and the two girls smiled at each other as an unspoken alliance formed between the two of them and Josh.

-o-

Elijah and Rebekah searched the Bayou for the new group of werewolves they'd been told about well into the night. They'd searched through a number of abandoned camps already, and approached another area where a trailer and a few tents had been set up.

"Wow, these wolves really travel in style, don't they?" Rebekah glanced around at the empty camp while Elijah walked ahead to the trailer and opened the door to check inside.

"Empty," he leaned back out to look at Rebekah with a pleased smile.

"Behind on their payments, perhaps?"

"Shall we proceed then?"

"Let's not and tell Cassandra that we did. Then you get to be the hero in her eyes and I can go home. You know how hovels depress me."

Elijah smiled weakly as he looked away. "I'm not trying to be anyone's hero. I'm just trying to do right by the people who saved Cassandra and her baby's life."

Before Rebekah could say anything else, they were interrupted by the sound of screaming and shouting. She turned around to see the a small group of werewolves being chased by the vampire hunting party. Elijah vamp-sped over to Diego and grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling him back after he had shoved a werewolf onto the ground.

"Darling," he spoke sarcastically into Diego's ear. "We have to stop meeting like this. This is how rumors begin." He released Diego with a forward shove. The vampire spun around to face Elijah with a tight lipped expression on his face. "You can go now."

Diego scratched his nose and shook his head, clearly pissed that he and his posse had been interrupted from their hunt.

"Perhaps, I'm not making myself clear," Elijah stretched out his arms. "This is a threat." Diego stared at him with hard, cold eyes, still unwilling to accept defeat. Elijah let out an annoyed sigh. "In precisely three minutes time, your little hunting party will become the prey. Now, based on your recent failure to subdue my baby brother, Niklaus, this despite a better than one hundred to one advantage, I recommend you heed my warning."

Diego's eyes shifted from Elijah's now stone cold face, to Rebekah's wickedly smiling face, realizing that he and his crew were toast if they didn't back off. He spit on the ground and turned around, leaving with the rest of the vampire hunting party.

"Impressive," Rebekah raised her eyebrows in approval.

"Well, I thought the situation demanded something a little dramatic," Elijah concurred as he slowly turned around and looked down at the werewolf Diego had attacked. The young man groaned and quickly scrambled to his feet when he noticed Elijah and Rebekah staring at him.

"Who are you people?" He stared at them in confusion.

Elijah slowly approached the young man and found his eyes being drawn to a ring the man wore on a necklace around his neck. He reached out and picked up the necklace, holding the ring between his fingers. It was a piece of jewelry he hadn't seen in a thousand years.

"I would say the better question," he frowned as he narrowed his eyes in surprise. "is who are you?"

-o-

Cassandra let out a satisfied sigh as she walked down the long hallway on the second floor after eating a delicious meal prepared by the hired staff. As she made her way past a set of open French doors leading to a brick walled, lounge kind of room, she spotted Klaus reclining in a chair reading a book next to a fireplace with dim, orange embers barely burning in it. She turned and stepped into the room.

"You know," she folded her arms and leaned back against the open door with a playful smile tugging at his lips. "It's not very nice, giving a girl an incredible night of love making and surprising her with a fabulous breakfast in bed the following morning only to leave her bored and all alone to fend for herself for the entire day while you're out with your buddy Marcel taking care of business in the Quarter. "

Klaus glanced up at her as a smile formed on his lips. "Well, then, I shall just have to make it up to her tonight with even more passion in bed than what we shared last night."

"Mmmm," Cassandara hummed as she walked over to where he was sitting. "And if she's not in the mood? If she's too tired?"

"Oh, I'm certain I can get her to be in the mood," he smirked with a wicked sparkle in his eye.

"Heh, you know, I'm pretty certain you can do that, too," she chuckled.

Klaus closed the book he'd been reading and set it on the coffee table before pulling Cassandra onto his lap. She smiled at him as she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. She glanced over at the book he was reading and smiled when she saw the title. "Les Misérables?" she eyed him curiously.

"I was in the mood for one of the classics," Klaus chuckled lightly.

"I saw the musical in New York with my friends when we were there. I laughed. I cried. It is without a doubt my favorite Broadway show of all time," Cassandra sighed as she thought about the memory.

"Mmm, well perhaps one day we can take our daughter to France and walk the same roads Jean Valjean did."

"I would love that."

"So," he reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Am I correct to assume you're no longer mad at me for the wolf hunt?"

"Oh, I'm still mad at you for that. I'm just choosing to enjoy more moments like this with you instead of giving you the cold shoulder," she smiled as she stroked the back of his head with her finger tips. 'I..oh!"

"What? What is it?" A look of concern flashed on Klaus's face.

Cassandra stared at him wide eyed as she brought a hand down to her stomach. "I think…woah there it was again. I think I just felt the baby move. Not a kick. It's still too soon for that. It felt more like a...a flutter. I don't really know how else to describe it."

Klaus gazed at her with a smile on his face and placed a hand on top of hers. They remained silent, words unnecessary as they basked in the monumental moment.

"There's really a tiny little person growing inside me," Cassandra murmured, breaking the silence a few moments later.

"Yes, there is," Klaus hummed in agreement. "And keeping the two of you safe is my top priority, which is why I allowed the vampires to go after the werewolves in the Bayou."

"I know that. Doesn't mean I have to like it, but I do see the deeper reasons behind it."

"Good."

"So," Cassandra let out a soft breath as she changed the subject. "I met Marcel's secret weapon witch Davina earlier today. She seems…incredibly sweet, actually."

"I'm glad you two have had a chance to get acquainted. In fact, you should go see how she's settling in. Get her to like you. The more she likes you, the more inclined she'll be to protect you," Klaus stared at her with eyes that told her this was not up for negotiation.

"Always scheming," Cassandra shook her head with a soft chuckle. She leaned in and pecked him on the lips before climbing off his lap. "I'm only doing this because I actually like her."

"Fine with me, love," Klaus grinned, giving her behind a playful little pat as she walked off.

Cassandra made her way out of the room and headed down the hall. She came to a stop in front of an open door and peered inside. She found Davina hunched over a big, open box, searching for something. She glanced around the large, open room and noted a bunch of canvases propped against the bed and chairs. Davina was an artist, and a good one at that. She smiled as walked in and approached the young witch.

"Hey," she spoke in a warm tone. "I just wanted to see how you were settling in. What are you looking for?"

"My violin," Davina answered without looking up. "I must have left it in the attic."

"So just go back and get it," Cassandra suggested.

Davina glanced up at Cassandra. "I can't. It's not safe for me out there."

"Huh," Cassandra slowly folded her arms across her chest and arched her eyebrows. "I was under the impression that everyone was afraid you."

"The witches are after me."

"You mean that crazy witch, Agnes? She tried to kill me, too. Luckily, she's not someone either of us has to worry about anymore. She's dead. Elijah killed her."

Davina stared at her in disbelief, shaking her head as she rose to her feet and walked over to Cassandra. "But…Agnes was the last living elder. If she's dead, then I'm safe. Marcel would've told me."

"Maybe he didn't want to lose his secret weapon against the witches," Cassandra shrugged. Davina thought about for a second, and shook her head.

"You're lying," she scoffed and turned around to go back to searching through the boxes for her violin.

"Why would I lie to you?" Cassandra pressed her.

"Because you want something from me," Davina snapped and spun back around to face Cassandra. "Everyone does."

"What I want," Cassandra looked her in the eyes, "from whoever will be willing to help me, is for my baby to remain safe, which means I need to remain safe. If there was something specific I wanted from you, I wouldn't lie to you to get it. I'd ask you straight to your face. I guess that's the difference between Marcel and me."

Not bothering to wait for any kind of response, Cassandra turned around and left the room. Davina turned around to resume her searching. With her back to the door, she didn't see Josh walk in a moment after Cassandra had left.

"Looking for something?" He called out to her. She turned around and found him holding the very violin she'd been searching all over the place for. A wide grin spread across her face as she walked up to him. "I figured with you vacating, the attic would be a safe zone. Found this there."

"It was dangerous for you to come back, Josh," Davina told him as she took the violin from him.

"Yeah, well, what are friends for, or whatever. Hey, what did Cassandra want?"

"Do you trust her?"

"I don't know," Josh shrugged. "She has kept her word about not ratting me out to Klaus, but I still don't really know much about her other than she's pregnant with his kid. Why?"

Davina tilted her head slightly as she spoke. "She told me about a witch being killed, an elder, but I don't know—"

"Oh, yeah. Crazy Agnes? I heard about that. Elijah went all berserker on her crew. I guess it was super gross, just, like, heads and guts. Blaagh." He wore a crooked grin on his lips, but the sight of Davina's wide, shocked eyes made it quickly fade away. "What? You hate the witches."

"Cassandra was right. Marcel is just using me," she shook her head as anger started to grow inside of her. "Josh, I can't stay here. I'm not gonna be their puppet. You have to get me out of here."

"Okay," he nodded slowly. "but where else are you gonna go?"

She stared back at him with a new determination in her eyes. "To the one person I know I can trust, the one person I know will help me. Cami."

Back in her room, Cassandra wiped a stray tear from her eye. She'd just gotten off the phone after talking to her mom and her emotions were all over the place. Of course, she blamed her pregnancy hormones. Talking to her mom made her more homesick than ever. _Gonna have to take a trip home one of these days_ , she decided with a nod of her head.

Sighing softly, she climbed off the bed and headed out on to the balcony to get some fresh air. She smiled as she stared down at the city below, alive as ever with moving cars and the soft chatter of people passing by in the night. In the blink of an eye, she felt a presence that wasn't there before and looked over to see Elijah standing at the opposite end of the balcony with his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Were you able to…" she slowly turned to face him.

"They're safe," he murmured as a smile appeared on his lips. "All of them."

Cassandra let out a huge sigh of relief as she smiled back at him. After a beat, she rushed over to him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Thank you." She pulled back so she could look at him face to face. "What you did, Elijah, it means the world to me."

"I should be thanking you for sending me out there in the first place.," Elijah moved his hands from her waist to her arms. "Rebekah and I discovered there are more wolf packs coming to the Bayou. One of them, in particular, spoke of a legend wherein long ago, a chief of theirs had fathered a child to a very powerful witch. Their mythology states, this child, a son, was later transformed into something this clan had never seen, something werewolf and vampire."

"Oh my god," Cassandra clapped a hand to her mouth.

"Remnants of Niklaus' werewolf bloodline."

"Does he know? Did you tell him about this?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "He was none too thrilled to learn I had undermined his order that the wolves be slaughtered. I made no mention that the request came from you. He did not seem to care that Rebekah and I had made this discovery and saved the bloodline of his true father."

Cassandra shook her head, scoffing softly. "You know, it's sad that I'm not all that surprised by that. We both know how stubborn he can be. I suppose I could try to talk to him about it, but it would probably be a waste of time. And thanks, by the way, for not ratting me out. He and I have had a really good day to day, so I'm glad to know it won't be ruined."

"You're welcome," Elijah gave her a small smile as he dropped his hands to his sides. "Talking to him won't be necessary. As you said, he is stubborn. I shall try broaching the subject with him again once the dust has settled some."

"Sounds good to me," she smiled back at him, relieved she wouldn't have to confront Klaus for the time being.


	9. A Witch On The Run

**Hey guys! So sorry about the slightly longer than normal wait. I've been fighting through an annoying case of laryngitis this past week. But now I'm back with a new update that I'm sure you'll all enjoy. If you didn't already figure it out, the canon character I was referring to at the start of the previous chapter is Davina. There's a lot more of her to come, including in this chapter. I'm excited to explore a friendship between her and Cassandra, although it will definitely have a lot of ups and downs based on future events, but more on that later down the line.**

 **Someone asked if Cassandra and Klaus would be going back to Mystic Falls for Katherine's final days (episode 5x11). After giving it a lot of thought I ultimately decided against it, and I'll tell you why. I've already written past that point with the two of them not going anywhere, and while it was possible to make a few tweaks to add that episode in as it's own chapter, I couldn't really get into writing it. I already have some special moments planned for when Cassandra does go back to Mystic Falls later on, and having her go back sooner than I'd originally planned took some of the oomph out of the future moments. I hope that makes sense, and I'm sorry if you're disappointed, but I can promise she will go back to see her family eventually, and it will be worth the wait.**

 **Thank you again to all of my incredible reviewers and silent readers, favoriters, and followers. You guys are the best!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - A Witch On The Run**

Cassandra gazed at her reflection as she stood in front of the full length mirror in the bedroom she shared with Klaus. She'd found an old wedding dress in one of the many trunks Rebekah had delivered to the compound after receiving permission from Klaus to move back in. Rebekah had told her about the legend of the Casket Girls over breakfast and the festival that was being held in the Quarter that same day. It sounded like a lot of fun, which is what prompted Cassandra to look for a dress. Now that she was wearing it, she was beginning to have second thoughts.

The dress was an off the shoulder style gown with long sleeves. The skirt had a top layer of tulle that hung down from an embroidered design that had been sewn around the waist. Because of the placement and the way the dressed hugged her more in some spots, it made her look more pregnant than she felt.

"Oh man, if you could see me now, Caroline," she chuckled to herself as she turned sideways and ran a hand over her stomach before reaching around her back in an attempt to pull up the zipper.

"Would you like some help?" Elijah called out in a warm voice. She glanced over her shoulder and found him leaning against the door frame. He was dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans, a white t shirt, and a black jacket. It wasn't a look she was accustomed to seeing on him, but it was a nice change to the suits he always wore.

"Sure. You might have to need to use all your vampire strength, though. This zipper is being very stubborn," she smiled and turned around so her back was to him.

He smiled at her remark as has he walked towards her. "Allow me."

She kept her eyes on the mirror as he glided the zipper up and fastened the top button of the dress. "Thanks. Not too many pregnant Casket Girls I guess."

"I think you look lovely," he murmured softly.

"Thank you," she beamed. She turned from side to side, inspecting the dress now that it was securely zipped and buttoned.

"You know," Elijah moved over to stand beside the mirror. "If you wanted to attend the festivities tonight, I'd be more than willing to take you?"

"Really? I'd actually be able to go out into the city?"

"If you would like, yes."

"That would be amazing!"

"Good, then it's settled. I shall see you later tonight," he flashed her another smile before walking past her towards the door.

"Can't wait. Thanks again for doing this," she turned around as he started to leave. "Oh! Elijah, before you go, could you, you know…" She motioned behind her back at the zipper. He nodded and made his way back over to her. She stood with her back to him and moved her hair out of the way. He unfastened the top button and slowly lowered the zipper until it was at the small of her back.

She'd been staring at the floor, and when she lifted her eyes up onto the mirror, she saw Elijah's reflection smile at her before turning around and exiting the room. As she changed out of the dress and into a new pair of jeans that Rebekah had gotten her, a rush of excitement flowed through her at the thought of finally being able to leave the confines of the compound.

She carefully laid the gown on the bed and headed out of the room to track down Rebekah and see how she was faring in her hunt for a gown to wear to the Casket Girls Festival. She began to make her way down the long hallway and came to a stop just outside the lounge where she could hear the voices of Klaus, Marcel, and Elijah conversing.

"I have no idea where Davina is or why she ran away," Elijah spoke in a calm, quiet voice. "Can I suggest you take a step back?"

 _Davina ran away? Oh no!_ Cassandra's mind raced.

"I can assure you, I have absolutely no desire to see that child come into harm's way," Elijah continued on. "She's suffered enough with this Harvest ritual nonsense."

"That child to whom you refer so affectionately is the most powerful witch in New Orleans," Klaus pointed out. "If she's fled, what's to stop her from destroying us, in fact destroying all we've worked for? No, if she's not a friend to this family, then she is our enemy."

 _She's not my enemy, Klaus,_ Cassandra shook her head.

"She is a friend, Klaus," Marcel was adamant in his claim.

"Well, let's hope so. Lucky for you, I know how to get her back," Klaus replied as he started to head to the door. "Follow my lead."

The sound of footsteps cued her, sending her racing down the rest of the way to the stairs before anyone knew she was there. Once she was in the courtyard she spotted Rebekah rummaging through a trunk full of dresses and made her way over.

"So, Davina's missing," Cassandra murmured softly. Her eyes landed on Klaus who was leaning against the second floor railing on the opposite side of the courtyard while he gave orders to some of Marcel's vampires.

"Walked right out the door, apparently," Rebekah turned to look at Cassandra as she spoke in a hushed voice. "Know anything about it?"

"No, not really. Although, I did tell her that the witch elders were dead."

"Why would she care when the witches tried to kill her in their ritual."

"I think it was more that Marcel didn't tell her that the one thing preventing her from being free had been eliminated."

"Ah," "So you're the reason she's run off," Rebekah nodded slowly and started to walk away.

Cassandra hurried after her. "No. I was just telling her the truth. I never suggested she run away." She paused and came to a stop beside Rebekah who was glancing up at the upper level where her brothers and Marcel stood. "She's the one who realized she was just being used to keep their control over the witches."

"Yeah, well, I've never been a fan of the boys club. Just wait," Rebekah turned her head back to Cassandra. "Elijah will join them, and the three of them will be impossible. Used by the witches, lied to by Marcel, manipulated by Elijah, threatened by Klaus—she's like a modern day Casket Girl."

"Are you talking about Davina or yourself?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.

"Does it matter?" Rebekah murmured. Cassandra shook her head. "Either way, us girls have got to stick together."

"So, what are you going to do then?"

"Well," Rebekah stole another glance at Klaus and Marcel. "I need to find her before they do."

Cassandra watched as Rebekah scurried away to get a head start on looking for the young witch. With nothing else to do, she started to make her way back to the stars. As she began to climb them, Elijah made his way down and met her halfway.

"Cassandra, I must apologize to you. Unfortunately I will be unable to take you to the festival tonight," his voice was soft and sincere.

"It's okay, Elijah. I understand. I heard about Davina," Cassandra flashed him a tiny smile. "I overheard the three of you in the lounge. I hope you find her."

"As do I," he gave her a small nod and continued to make his way down the stairs.

She trudged up the rest of the stairs and headed back to her room. Yes, she was bummed about not being able to go to the Casket Girls festival, but she knew how important it was for them to find Davina, if only to keep her safe from Sophie Deveraux. She walked through the doorway and came to a stop at the foot of the bed as her eyes landed on the wedding dress.

"Guess there's no need for this anymore," she sighed softly. She walked over and scooped the dress up into her arms to bring it back downstairs. She left it nestled in one of the large trunks in the courtyard. As she was closing the lid, she glanced up, realizing she was being watched by a couple of vampires, no doubt, at Klaus's orders. She fought back an annoyed groan as she began to walk through the court yard, with the two vampires hot on her heels.

"So you two are just gonna follow me everywhere huh?" She turned her upper body slightly so she could glance over her shoulder at them. "Even to the bathroom?"

When they remained silent, she stopped and spun around to face them. They folded their arms across their chest, causing their biceps to bulge. Before she could say anything else, her phone started to ring. She sighed and pulled it out of her pocket to see who was calling. The name Sophie Deveraux was flashing back at her. Doing her best to keep a straight face, she glanced up at the two vampires.

"Just give me two minutes. It's my gynecologist," she told them. Not bothering to wait for a response from them, she stepped through the nearest doorway, which happened to lead into the garage, and quietly shut the door before answering her phone.

"What the hell do you want?" she growled in a low voice.

"I know you don't trust me, but everything is about to change," Sophie told her calmly. "Davina's on the loose."

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Figured that out all by yourself, did ya? Remind me again why I should give a damn about what that means for you."

"I need something from you so that the witches can complete the Harvest."

"On what planet would I help you witches get more power? All you've done is hex me and try to kill me and my baby."

"You'll help me because if we don't complete the Harvest, our access to magic will fade for good, which doesn't bode well for those Bayou wolves you seem to have a soft spot for." Sophie's voice softened. "Marcel forced a witch to curse them so they'd be trapped in their wolf form except on the night of the full moon. My bloodline executed that curse, and if you help me complete the Harvest, I'll undo it for you."

Cassandra let out a small breath. "What exactly would you need me to do?"

"I need to consecrate the remains of a powerful witch so I can absorb their magic," Sophie explained. "I know of one whose body was never found. Her name is Celeste Dubois. I believe you and she have a friend in common."

Celeste. The name rang a bell in her mind. She was certain she'd heard it somewhere before, but she couldn't place it. _Why does that name sound so familiar?_ Her eyes widened a moment later when she realized she hadn't _heard_ it anywhere. She'd _read_ it in one of Elijah's journals.

"Elijah," Cassandra whispered.

"Story goes that when she died, he buried her in a secret spot at her request. All you need to do is find out where."

"And how the heck am I supposed to do that?"

"My guess...he probably wrote it down in a journal or something.

"So you're basically asking me to snoop around."

'If that's what it takes, yes."

"No." Cassandra answered sharply

"Cassandra…" Sophie began to protest.

"Look, my heart goes out to those wolves. While I'd love to free them from that horrible curse, I refuse to go behind Elijah's back to do it. I won't help you," Cassandra was adamant.

"Oh, you'll help me, because if you don't get me what I need, I'll cast another spell to relink us, and then I'll plunge a knife into my stomach, which will kill your baby," Sophie threatened.

"You're bluffing," Cassandra spat back at her.

"Maybe, maybe not. Guess you'll have to decide if it's a risk you're willing to take. I need that location. Tonight."

"Sophie I...hello?" She pulled her phone away from her head and glanced at it. She let out a low groan when she realized Sophie had hung up on her. "Damn it!"

With a heavy sigh, she pulled up Elijah's phone number and hit dial before bringing the phone up to her ear.

"Hello, Cassandra," he answered after the second ring in a friendly voice.

"Elijah. Hey. How goes the search for Davina?" She asked, trying her best to sound casual.

"We still haven't found her," he murmured. "Has she tried to contact you by chance?"

"No. Not that she would. We've only met once. We're still pretty much strangers," she shook her head as she started to become sidetracked. "Anyway, I wasn't calling about her. I was calling for another reason. Sophie called me."

"What did she want?"

"She—wait, is your brother listening to our conversation? Because I don't want him to hear any of this."

"No. He's actually occupied with another matter at the moment," Elijah glanced in the direction where Klaus stood on the opposite side of the busy street talking to a young boy named Tim. "What did Sophie want?"

Cassandra took a deep breath and let it back out before continuing on. "She wants me to find out where you buried Celeste Dubois so that she can consecrate her remains and absorb her magic, which will give her enough power to complete the Harvest. With Davina on the loose, she knows it's her one shot to finish the ritual, that is, if she can find her before you do. She said if I did this, she'd lift the curse on the wolves in the Bayou. I told her I wouldn't help her, so then she threatened to relink herself to me and shove a knife into her stomach to kill my baby."

Elijah remained silent for a long period of time before speaking in a soft, calm voice. "Don't do anything. I am coming back to the compound. I'll tell you what you need to know when I get there."

"Okay," Cassandra murmured softly. "I'll be waiting."

After ending the phone call, she stuffed her phone back into her pocket and headed out of the garage into the courtyard. She completely ignored the two vampires that were there to keep an eye on her as she passed by them and made her way to the stairs. She could hear them following behind her as she climbed up to the second floor.

Instead of going to her room, she went to the lounge and busied herself with the shelves full of vinyl records while she waited for Elijah to arrive. She was amazed at the variety of music in the massive collection and silently wondered which records were the Mikaelsons and which were Marcel's. She'd barely made it through all of the C's when she heard the sound of Elijah's voice in the room.

"The two of you are no longer needed here. You may go now," he told her vampire bodyguards. She turned around and found Elijah walking towards her as the two silent vampires left the room. He motioned for her to take a seat in one of the chairs. She quickly scurried over and sat down in the one he pointed at while he sat down on the edge of the coffee table in front of her.

"Wait," Cassandra held up a hand to stop him from speaking. "Before you say anything, you need to know something else. When Klaus and I first got back to New Orleans, I found your old journals. I didn't read much, but I had to satisfy my curiosity a little once I found them so I skimmed random pages. Your writing is actually incredibly beautiful, by the way. Anyway, that's where I saw Celeste's name. I got the impression she was someone you cared about, pretty deeply actually. That's all I wanted to say."

"Thank you. Yes, I did care about her, very much so. In my thousand years, there's only been one other person that I've felt so strongly for. Celeste made me promise to bury her where she would not be found. She wanted to be left in peace," Elijah explained in a soft voice.

"Okay," Cassandra nodded her head. "Well, the last thing I want is for you to break a promise you made so…we'll just have to…I don't know…I'll stall her or something until we figure out what to do. I mean, I'm like, eighty percent sure she was bluffing on her threat. Plus, she has to know if she goes after me again, she's toast. Klaus will most certainly kill her."

"Not if I get to her first," Elijah flashed her the smallest of sinister grins. He immediately softened his expression and reached for her hand, taking it in both of his. "I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me that you came to me with this instead of seeking out the answer yourself. I will not forget this."

Cassandra smiled back at him. "You're welcome."

Before anything else could be said, Klaus came into the room. "Cassandra, there you are. Would you—" He fell momentarily silent after his eyes landed on his older brother who was still holding her hand between both of his. "Well, don't you two look cozy."

Elijah released her hand and stood to his feet. "Niklaus—"

"Oh, don't let me interrupt. Please," Klaus gave a wave of his hand. "Carry on."

"We were having a private conversation. It's over now," Elijah answered in a casual voice.

"I'm surprised you weren't listening in," Cassandra raised her eyebrows slightly as she looked up at Klaus.

"Yes, well, I was busy getting our newest house guest, young Timothy, all sorted out. You see, he's going to help us get Davina to come back here," Klaus

"That's putting it mildly," Elijah rolled his eyes and gave a tiny shake of his head.

Igoring him, Klaus held a hand out to Cassandra. "Cassandra, a word, please."

Nodding, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her up to her feet. Holding her hand, he led her out of the lounge and down the hall to their bedroom.

"I need you to stay in here for a little while," he told her once they came to a stop next to the foot of the bed.

"Why?" Cassandra eyed him curiously. She pulled her hand out of his and folded her arms across her chest. "This have something to do with whatever plan you've cooked up to get Davina to come back?"

"Yes. It does. Look," he paused and placed his hands on the sides of her upper arms. "Do you remember the incident from last year? The one where you found my little sister torturing Damon Salvatore?"

"Yeah," she answered slowly.

"And you later told me you wished you had never gone down into the ballroom to investigate in the first place?"

"Yeah. I remember. Why would—are you going to be torturing someone in the courtyard or something?"

"I wouldn't call it torture, but, well, things could get a little messy if all does not go accordingly."

"In other words, you don't want me seeing the nasty side of you. Is that it?"

Klaus remained silent, instead bringing his hands up to the sides of her face to stroke her skin gently with his thumbs before giving her a light kiss on the lips. "Please, love. Do not come out until I come and get you. I do not want you getting caught in the crossfire. Davina is the most powerful witch in New Orleans, and she is very volatile right now. Who better to use against me than you, hmm?"

"Okay," Cassandra whispered.

Klaus let out a small sigh in relief. "Good. Thank you, sweetheart. I shan't be long."

She watched as he pulled his hands away and turned on his heel to leave the room, shutting the door behind him. Shaking her head slightly, Cassandra pulled her phone out of her pocket and flopped on top of the bed. She sent a message to Sophie, letting her know she hadn't tracked down the location where Celeste was buried, and that she was currently unable to get out of the compound so she could go to the old mansion to look through Elijah's journals. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

With nothing but time on her hands, she grabbed the pregnancy book from the nightstand and began flipping through it. After a few quiet moments of skimming through the words on the page, she realized she was too distracted to read and closed the book with a sigh. All she could think about was what Klaus was currently up to, and that whatever it was, he obviously didn't want her witnessing it. She supposed she should be grateful that he wanted to spare her from seeing his more violent nature, but it didn't silence her curiosity.

She reached for her phone, intending to send a message to her sister venting her annoyance over the situation when the sound of Klaus's loud screams sent her bolting out of the bedroom. She sprinted towards the staircase, eyes widened in fear as they landed on Klaus down in the courtyard. He was on his knees, yelling and writhing in pain as Davina held her arm outstretched, using her magic to force his werewolf side up to the surface, resulting in loud cracks as his bones began to break. A few feet away, Marcel and Elijah were on their hands and knees, watching helplessly as Davina used more magic to keep them at bay.

"Oh my god! Klaus!" Cassandra cried out as she reached the stairs. "Davina! What are you doing?!"

"Stay where you are, Cassandra," Davina ordered, keeping her eyes glued to Klaus. " _You_ were honest with me, and I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you come any closer."

"Cassandra, do not move. Stay where you are," Elijah told her as he gasped for breath.

"Why don't you show us your real face," Davina spoke to Klaus as the bones in his spine cracked, making him cry out. Cassandra gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth. Davina used her hand to lift Klaus's head up and forced his hybrid face to show. Eventually, she was satisfied and gave a wave of her hand, effectively snapping his neck and sending him down to the ground in a heap. "That's enough out of you."

"Davina, you don't have to do this," Elijah tilted his head up to look at Davina as he pleaded with her.

"You—" Davina growled sharply at him as she began to walk towards him, raising her hand to use more magic, forcing him to lean back against his will. "You looked me in the eyes and lied to my face, pretended you wanted to help me."

"Listen to me…" he whispered.

"You call yourself the noble one, but you're a killer just like your brother. For a thousand years, you fed on innocent blood. Why don't you choke on it?" Davina glared at him. A second later Elijah began to cough and regurgitate blood, choking as it steamed down his jaw until he fell to the floor unconscious. Cassandra shook with fear as she watched both brothers drop like flies. She didn't dare make a sound, though she was screaming on the inside.

Davina moved onto Marcel, stepping over to stand in front of him. Cassandra knew they had a close bond, which meant he was either going to get the worst punishment of all, or he would be the only one to get through to the young girl.

"And you," Davina glared at Marcel as he rose to his feet. "I trusted you. I loved you, but you were just using me to stay in power. You don't care about me."

"You're wrong," Marcel spoke in a calm voice.

"When you lost to Klaus, you handed me over like some trophy. Maybe I should boil you in bronze."

"I care. I took you in like you were my own blood."

They stared at each other with tears in their eyes. Then Marcel was stabbed through the chest from behind with an iron poker. He yelled out in pain before dropping to the floor unconscious as his attacker pulled the iron poker out of him.

"Come on now, love. Don't tell me you were falling for that," Rebekah held the poker in her hand as she eyed Davina. "Isn't it time for us girls to have a chat?"

Cassandra wasn't sure if she should be grateful that she showed up when she did, or worried that she was up to something. She desperately wanted to come down the stairs to be near Klaus and Elijah, but she didn't dare move.

"Now, that is impressive," Rebekah continued. "And well-deserved in my opinion. Now, before you turn on me, I have a surprise for you."

A door opened in the back of the courtyard behind Davina. She turned around to see Josh walking towards her. "Josh? What are you doing? Get out of here."

Cassandra jumped when Rebekah appeared in front of Josh and grabbed him by the throat.

"W-what are you doing?" He gagged and coughed, gasping for breath.

Rebekah turned her head toward Davina. "Now, if I were Klaus, I would rip Josh's head from his neck and feed it to a nightwalker, and that would be the end of your friend."

"But you aren't Klaus," Cassandra managed to find her voice.

"Correct," Rebekah nodded and released her grip on Josh. "Hurting people is such a boyish thing to do, like how Klaus compelled your fiddler on the roof, and, while I am many things, I'm certainly not my brother."

At the mention of a 'fiddler on the roof' Cassandra followed Rebekah's gaze and gasped when she spotted a young boy around Davina's age holding a violin as he sat on the ceiling rafters. _That's what Klaus didn't want me to know about! He was using Davina's friend as bait!_

"It's okay, Timothy," Rebekah called out to the boy. "You can come down. No one's going to hurt you. Same with you, Cassandra."

Cassandra didn't need to be told twice and came rushing down the stairs. She didn't stop until she reached Klaus and dropped to her knees beside him. She carefully rolled Klaus onto his back and cradled his head in her lap while Rebekah walked over to catch Timothy as he jumped down from the rafters. When she found the strength to peel her eyes away from him, she looked up to see Davina embracing her friend. From his confusion about how he'd ended up on the rafters to how Davina had been able to do what she did, it became clear to Cassandra that he'd not only been compelled, but he also had no idea that the supernatural world even existed.

"I'll explain everything, I promise," Davina tried to reassure him and hugged him tightly once more. After the pulled apart, she looked at Rebekah. "Why are you doing this?"

"Seems to me that you're the one holding all the cards, but you don't know who to trust," Rebekah murmured. "I've just proven that you can trust me. And we know Cassandra already proved herself by telling you about the witch elders being dead which opened up your eyes to Marcel's lies and deceit. Now I'd like to show you one more thing. Won't take long. You can bring your friends."

Cassandra watched as Rebekah walked off toward the entrance to the compound with Davina and her two friends trailing closely behind. Once she was sure they were gone, she carefully laid Klaus's head on the ground and crawled over to Elijah. She rolled him onto his back away from the blood soaked ground and gently stroked his cheek. She hated feeling so helpless, knowing all she could do was wait for them to wake. She lingered with Elijah a while longer, and then moved back over to Klaus. She laid her head against his chest, listening for the sound of his heart, and signed sadly when she heard nothing. She shifted into a comfortable criss-crossed sitting position beside him and held his hand against the side of her face as she silently waited for him to wake up.

After an agonizing number of long minutes he finally began to stir, groaning softly as his eyes fluttered open. "Bloody witch," he mumbled under his breath. He turned his head, his eyes landing on Cassandra, and rose to a sitting position as he stroked her face. "What are you doing down here? I specifically told you to stay upstairs in our room."

"I know," she murmured. "I heard you screaming and all I could think about was getting to you to make sure you were okay."

"I'm sorry you had to see that, love," he sighed. "It seems I made some miscalculations. No matter. I _always_ have a backup plan."

Before she could ask him what it was, Elijah awoke with a groan and slowly sat up. "Where did Davina go?" He asked as he stared at Klaus and Cassandra. Klaus slowly turned his gaze onto her knowing she was the one who would know that particular answer.

"She left with Rebekah and her friend Timothy," Cassandra told them both. Klaus stood up and held his hand out to Cassandra. She took it and allowed him to help her up. "At least now I know what you were up to. Don't worry, I don't have it in me to be irritated with you for it."

"That's a relief," Klaus flashed her a smile. He gave her a quick kiss, then pulled his phone out of his pocket and walked over to the side of the courtyard to call Rebekah while Elijah went over to help up Marcel who was finally stirring. She watched their faces as their eyes landed on Klaus. It quickly became clear to her that they were not happy about whatever it was he and Rebekah were talking about.

"No. It wouldn't," Klaus answered in an unsurprised voice. "You see, the poison I compelled Timothy to feed her is quite potent. It's just a matter of time for her."

Marcel started to march over to Klaus, appalled at what he'd just heard, but Elijah clapped a hand to his shoulder, stopping him after a few paces. Cassandra stared at Klaus in disbelief. She knew on the one hand that she shouldn't be surprised considering his history with killing innocent people, but it still didn't stop her from feeling shocked and disappointed in him.

"There is no dealing with those who threaten us," Klaus continued speaking on the phone to Rebekah as he turned around and walked over to where Marcel and Elijah stood. "Davina sealed her fate when she stood against me. This was her choice, not mine."

He ended the call and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Elijah and Marcel stared at him with stiff jaws, angry and horrified at what Klaus had secretly done to Davina and her friend Tim.

"Oh, come on," he laughed as he walked past them. "The stench of your judgement is overwhelming. Need I remind you that Davina just bested the lot of us? I did what had to be done. Don't worry, Elijah. I remain as redeemable as ever."

"So you compelled that boy to poison Davina without consulting Marcel or myself," Elijah glared at his brother in disdain.

"You know what the worst part is?" Marcel pointed a finger at Klaus. "Is that you're so predictable, I had to make an alliance with your brother, who I don't even like."

Taken by surprise, Klaus glanced from Marcel to Elijah and found him sharing a smug look with Marcel. As Elijah took a couple of steps away from where they were currently standing, Klaus turned to Marcel. "Judging by your expression, you have something you'd like to share.

Marcel wore a smug smile on his face. "Damn straight, I do. I got a call from Kieran earlier, right after Sabine and some witches almost got their hands on Davina first. When I got to St. Anne's, I found the bodies of three dead witches. There should have been four, but Sabine was smart, or dumb, depending on how you look at it. She cast a protection spell on herself. I gave her a choice. Either I kill her for breaking one of my rules, or she casts that same protection spell for Davina. Fortunately, she values her life, so we struck a deal."

Klaus gave Marcel an icy stare before turning away and starting to walk towards Cassandra. "So when you slipped away to allegedly check on your nightwalkers, you were, in fact, colluding with a witch," he came to a stop when he'd covered about half of the distance from where he'd originally been to where Cassandra stood, and turned back around to face Marcel. "Very clever. I suppose I should be proud."

"Eh, I just wanted to make sure I had a failsafe just in case, as Elijah expected, you started acting like you," Marcel shrugged.

"Except that now you've involved the witches, who, last time I checked, were enemy to us all, to everything we have, and to our family," Klaus barked as he marched back over to Marcel.

"Davina is Marcel's family, Niklaus," Elijah pointed out. "Or did that somehow slip your mind as you tried to take her life?"

"No," Klaus whispered.

"You will call Rebekah. You'll tell her that Davina will recover," Elijah spoke in a quiet, commanding voice. "I do wish the same could be said about that boy."

Cassandra watched as Elijah walked away, shortly followed by Marcel. Her head was swarming with everything she'd just heard and learned. Klaus slowly turned around and walked over to her. Before he could say anything she held up a hand.

"Don't bother trying to explain or justify why you did what you did," she sighed. "I get it, okay? I don't like it, actually I hate it because that boy Timothy was innocent in all of this and did not have to die, but I get that you were trying to protect us. It's just...well, to be bluntly honest, it sucks."

"I know," Klaus murmured softly.

He started to reach for her hand when she recoiled away from him. "Just...give me some time to process all of this, okay? I'm not mad at you. I just need to...I'm gonna go upstairs and lie down for a little while. I'll come find you when I'm ready to talk."

He nodded and stepped aside so she could pass by him. She shuffled past him and headed back upstairs to their room. She walked over and flopped down on the bed and picked up her phone from the spot where she'd left it. When the screen flickered to life she discovered she had two new messages, one from Cami, and one from Sophie. She read the text from Cami first. _Call me as soon as you get this. I need to talk to you about Klaus._

"Uh oh," Cassandra sighed softly. "That's not good."

Before responding to Cami, she opened up Sophie's message, bracing herself for whatever the witch had to say. _You know what? Don't even worry about it. I decided to take matters into my own hands. Since no one's currently at the old mansion, I helped myself to Elijah's journals and found out where he buried Celeste. I'm headed out to dig her bones up right now._

Cassandra checked the timestamp on the message and realized Sophie had sent it nearly an hour ago. _Oh crap!_ She sprang to her feet and hurried out of the room to track down Elijah. After ruling out the lounge and his study, she finally found him in the parlor, scouring over a bunch of Davina's sketches. Gripping her phone, she stood in the doorway and observed him for a moment while she sorted out her thoughts and figured out how she was going to break the news to him.

Finally, she took a deep breath and casually walked forward into the room. "Hey," she murmured lightly. "You okay?"

He pulled his eyes away from the drawing he held in in his hands long enough to glance at her as a lopsided grin tugged at his lips. "I'm better now. How are you holding up after everything you witnessed downstairs?"

"Still processing it all. What's with the artwork?" She stepped closer to the table to get a better look at the drawings he had laid out.

"Uh, Davina's sketches," Elijah answered, turning his gaze back to his task. He laid down the drawing he was holding and picked up another one from the stack. "I wonder if they represent some kind of premonition. "They seem to suggest something is coming. Something sinister."

She tilted her head, watching as Elijah rearranged the pages in a type of layered puzzle until the drawing of a woman's face was revealed. He stood up, staring down at it in shock.

"Who is—" Cassandra started to say.

"Celeste." Elijah whispered.


	10. Save Me From Myself

**Well, here I am with another chapter for you guys. This one gets pretty intense at times. I can't believe we're just a couple chapters shy of the halfway point for Season 1! I don't really have much else to say. There's a lot of Cassandra/Elijah moments in this chapter with some super cute Cassandra/Klaus moments sprinkled in. Thank you for your continued support, love, and reviews. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - Save Me From Myself**

"The Italians call them _strega_. The Yoruba of West Africa call them _aje,_ meaning 'mother'. Where my mother was from, they called them _hexa_ , and here we call them _witch,_ " Elijah gave Cassandra a mini linguistic/history lesson the following morning. After he'd put Davina's drawing's together to create the large portrait of his dead lover, Celeste, he'd disappeared before Cassandra could tell him about the last message she'd gotten from Sophie. As a result, she'd tossed and turned for half the night in bed, unable to silence the annoying voice in her head that tore her apart for not speaking up when she had the chance. After breakfast, she was elated when Elijah asked her to come with him back to the Parlor Room where the sketches were. As she sat and listened to him talk about the iconic history of witches in general, she patiently waited for a moment to tell him about Sophie. "Over the centuries vampires have fought them and fought beside them, bedded them and burned them. Whether adversary or ally, they have been a forced to be reckoned with. Their ancestral magic anchors this city. There's never been one all-powerful witch until Davina."

"Who is now tucked in safe and sound down the hall under my protection," Klaus came walking into the room and stopped in front of the table. He stared at the giant portrait pieced together on the table. "Your Celeste was quite beautiful and a portent of evil according to our volatile artist in residence."

"Yes, perhaps Davina has mistaken what she calls evil for power," Elijah mused in a calm voice as he gazed at the drawings. "Celeste was certainly very powerful in her day, but she's been dead for over two hundred years." He took a seat on the leather couch positioned beside the table. "I don't understand why all these sketches now."

"Why does any witch do anything?" Klaus raised his eyebrows as he took a seat in the chair across from Cassandra. A moment later, the sound of something hitting the wall and breaking into pieces with a loud crack made Cassandra's eyes widen slightly. An amused smile tugged at Klaus's lips as his eyes flickered from the wall back to his brother. "Well, that's going well."

Elijah kept his eyes glued to the table. "If you were trying to win the girl's trust, perhaps poisoning her one true love," he glanced up at Klaus "was not the most splendid idea."

"Oh, are there anymore inopportune deaths you'd like to wave in my face?" Klaus shook his head in annoyance.

"Give me a month. I'll get you a list," Elijah deadpanned.

"I'll help," Cassandra chimed in with a smirk on her lips.

Klaus grinned and started to laugh, but the sound of breaking glass against the wall silenced him and made the smile on his face disappear. "Young, old, dead, or alive, witches are a pain the ass."

"Here, here," Cassandra agreed as Klaus rose to his feet and marched out of the room. Now that they were alone again, she saw her moment and took a deep breath before leaning forward in her seat. "Elijah?"

"Hmm?" He murmured, his eyes focused on the table.

"There's something you need to know," she spoke in a soft, timid voice. He turned his head and looked at her with curious eyes. Before she could say anything more, something in the compound rattled loudly, then the entire structure began to rumble and shake. As they both stood to their feet, Cassandra stared at the shelves as books and other trinkets fell to the floor. She ran out of the room to the railing with Elijah hot on her heels, and stared at the courtyard below. From a few yards farther down the hall, Klaus came running out and leaned against the rail as Rebekah walked out into the middle of the courtyard.

"What the hell is going on?" Rebekah asked, looking up at him.

"Davina," he answered, tightening his jaw.

Once the shaking stopped, Elijah walked over to Klaus and followed him back into the parlor. Marcel came out of Davina's room a few seconds later and went in to talk to the two Mikaelson brothers. Cassandra sighed, annoyed that her chance to speak to Elijah had again slipped through her fingers. She walked over to the room they were in and leaned against the wall outside the door. Her heart sunk at learning the earthquake had been Davina's doing because the magic she had was out of her control.

"Where are you going?" She heard Klaus ask.

"This is witch business. Let's ask a witch," was Elijah's response.

The sound of approaching footsteps made Cassandra back up against the railing. "You're going to see Sophie," she murmured as Elijah slowed to a stop when he reached the hallway.

"You don't have to eavesdrop," he told her in a light voice. "I keep nothing from you."

He turned and began to walk down the hall, prompting her to follow along beside him. "Yeah, I know. I don't want to keep anything from you either, and if you're going out to see Sophie, then there's something that you should know, although once you know you'll undoubtedly want to kill her, and killing her prevents you from getting answers from her, so I should probably wait to tell you this. But then if I waited, you'd end up being blindsided when you go to see her, and that's not fair to you and—"

"Whatever this is, you have to tell me," Elijah held his hand up, cutting her off as he stared at her with serious eyes.

She nodded and took a deep breath as she turned around to face him once they'd made it down the stairs. "I tried to stall her, but it didn't work. Not in the end. Last night she sent me a message. I didn't get it until after everything had calmed down around here. She went to the old mansion and went through your journals herself to find out where you buried Celeste. I'm so sorry, Elijah. I never wanted this to happen."

Elijah's jaw tightened as he processed what she'd just told him. She didn't think it was possible to hate Sophie more than she already did, but seeing the hurt and anger in Elijah's eyes proved her wrong.

"Thank you for telling me," Elijah spoke after a long moment. He softened his face as he met her eyes and reached out his hand, placing it on her shoulder. "Do not blame yourself for this. You have done nothing wrong. Sophie violated my privacy and broke my promise to Celeste, and for that, she will pay, but not before I get the answers we need."

Cassandra nodded her head slowly. He gave her a small squeeze before lowering his hand and turned around to head out to find Sophie. With nothing to do, she began to wander around aimlessly. She was so lost in her head and not paying attention to the path in front of her that she nearly walked straight into Klaus.

"Woah, careful love," he chuckled as he held onto her waist to steady her. She nodded, then let out a sigh as she threw her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder. "What's this? I thought you needed some space from me."

"Not anymore," she mumbled and lifted her head back up to gaze at him. "I had to break some unpleasant news to Elijah. Let's just say that when this stuff with Davina is all over, Sophie will find herself reunited with her witch ancestors."

"Really?' Klaus raised his eyebrows curiously. "And why would you say that?"

"It has to do with Celeste. I...maybe you should just ask him about it. It's his private business. I don't feel right divulging it without his consent."

"Ah, I understand love. Perhaps I shall once he returns. In the meantime, how are you holding up?" He paused and placed a hand on her stomach. "How's our littlest wolf?"

"We're good," she smiled at him. "I feel the flutters a lot when I'm sitting or lying still. Not so much when I'm up and about. I wish I could hear her heartbeat like you can."

"Mmm, yes," Klaus grinned at her as he used his vampire hearing to listen to the baby's rapidly thumping heart. "It is a remarkable sound."

"So, Davina seems to have calmed down. That's good."

"For the moment, yes, but I fear things are far from over. She's taken to vomiting dirt."

Cassandra's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god. That definitely isn't good."

A somber expression appeared on Klaus's face. "No, it most certainly is not."

"Have you ever heard of this happening to a witch before?"

"No," Klaus shook his head. "In a thousand years, this is the first time I've ever witnessed it."

Cassandra's heart sank. The fact that he'd never come across a witch exhibiting such a crazy symptom in all his centuries of living meant they were a lot worse off than she realized. She started to open her mouth to speak again when the house began to rumble and shake like it had earlier. She held onto Klaus as they waited for the tremor to cease.

"Why do I have a feeling that won't be the last earthquake?' she murmured once the compound was still and quiet.

"I don't have the answer to that, love. But," he paused and pulled his phone out of his pocket. A new message from Elijah lit up the screen. "Elijah's on his way back with Sophie Deveraux. Perhaps she will be able to shed some light on whatever's going on with Davina."

Even though she was less than thrilled about having to deal with Sophie's presence for the umpteenth time, especially after what had transpired the previous day, Cassandra kept her face neutral as she gave a nod of her head. Klaus brushed his lips lightly against her forehead and began to guide her down the hall towards the parlor. They came to a stop just outside the doorway.

"Actually, I think I'm going to sit this one out. I can't really handle being in the same room with her right now, and the last thing any of us needs is me ripping her a new one," Cassandra let out a soft breath.

"Well, I can't speak for the others, but I personally would not object to such a display of emotions," Klaus chuckled lightly.

"Of course you wouldn't," Cassandra rolled her eyes and started to walk back down the hall as Klaus headed into the parlor.

She came to a stop in front of the doorway to Davina's room and slowly peered inside. She found the young girl tucked in bed, but she wasn't asleep. She was staring up at the ceiling, looking positively miserable.

"Hey Davina," Cassandra called out in a soft voice as she leaned against the doorway. Davina shifted her eyes from the ceiling on to Cassandra. "Are you holding up alright? Can I get you anything? Water, more things to smash against the wall?" She cracked a smile at the last part and could tell it had made Davina want to smile, too.

"No, I'm good for now. Thanks for asking," Davina answered in a quiet voice.

"Oh. Okay then," Cassandra nodded and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Davina cried. "Cassandra, don't go. I don't want to be alone. I-I'm scared."

Cassandra nodded and made her away across the room to the bed. As she took a seat on the edge of the bed, she gazed at the girl with sympathetic eyes. "It's going to be okay, Davina. You aren't alone in this. They'll figure out why this is happening and how to stop it. You'll see."

"Thanks," Davina whispered.

"I'm so sorry about your friend, Timothy. He didn't deserve what happened to him. Neither of you did."

"No, he didn't." Davina let out a sigh as a long, pause filled the room. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

Cassandra nodded her head. "Of course."

"How can you stand to be with Klaus after everything he's done, all the innocent people he's killed?"

"That is a very long and complicated answer. Believe me, you aren't the first to ask that question either. My own sister, she's technically only a year older than you because she was turned into a vampire, though she supposed to be going on nineteen now, wanted to compel me to forget I'd ever met Klaus when he and I started growing closer shortly after we met. She would have succeeded if he hadn't shown up at my house when he did and saved me."

"Oh wow," Davina's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Cassandra nodded. "I know a thing or two about being betrayed by someone you thought you knew and could trust one hundred percent. It sucks. Big time. Fortunately we have since then patched things up."

"You actually forgave her?"

"It took some time, but yeah, I did."

"I'll never forgive Klaus for what he did to Tim," Davina hissed.

Cassandra softened her face as she gazed at Davina. "I wouldn't expect you to. What he did was—"

"Horrific and could been avoided," Rebekah appeared in the doorway.

"Rebekah!" Cassandra gasped softly. "What did Sophie have to say? Does she know what's going on with Davina?"

"She does," Rebekah answered as she walked into the room and headed to the other side of the bed to sit down. Cassandra could tell by the grim look on her face that whatever it was that was happening wasn't good. "According to Sophie, the power you've been holding onto from the night of the ritual when the other three girls were sacrificed, it was meant to flow through you and back into the earth. It was never meant to be held on to by one person, especially not for this long. It's too much for your body to handle. Things are going to get worse until it tears you apart completely. As you get progressively worse, you'll cycle through the four stages that represent the four elements that bound together the Harvest. The first stage is the Earth stage."

"The earthquakes," Cassandra whispered, sharing a wide-eyed look with Davina.

"Yes," Rebekah nodded. "Then comes wind, and since each stage is more intense than the last, let's just say you'll blow the roof off this place."

"Oh no!" Cassandra stared at Rebekah in disbelief

"The third stage is water. That means rain, flooding, thunder, lightning. But that's not the worst of it. The last stage is fire, and because it's the last, it'll be the worst of them all."

"So how do we stop it? There has to be a way, right?" Davina looked from Rebekah to Cassandra. "Right?"

"They want to complete the Harvest," Rebekah answered in a soft voice.

"No!" Davina cried out, shaking her head back and forth. Cassandra felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as Davina began to cry.

"The witches say you'll be resurrected," Rebekah spoke in a soothing voice as she tried her best to calm the young girl down.

Davina continued to shake her head. "They're liars! They'll say anything to get what they want just like Marcel, just like you."

"Davina, you may think that I don't care about you, but you're wrong," Rebekah placed a hand on her arm. "I know what it's like to have your life stripped away from you because of other people's bad decisions. How do you think I became a vampire?"

Davina stared at her, processing her words. Rebekah calmly reached for Davina's arm with one hand and laid it palm-side up at Davina's side as she revealed a syringe in her other hand.

"Wha-what is that?" Davina squealed and began to cry more.

"The more upset you become, the faster you deteriorate. I compelled up some sedative," Rebekah explained in a calm voice.

"No, no, no!" Davina cried hysterically.

"We keep you calm, we keep you alive, Davina," Rebekah cooed in a soothing voice.

"No, please!" Davina pleaded. As she grew more hysterical, a low, howl began to sound as a mystical wind began to blow. The window shutters began to bang back and forth wildly against the windows. A tall, wooden easel crashed to the floor from the gust of wind blowing through the window, making Cassandra jump in surprise. She met Rebekah eyes for a fleeting second before returning her focus to Davina.

"Hey," she murmured, reaching for Davina's other hand. She clutched it between both of hers as she continued to speak in what she hoped was a comforting tone. "It's going to be okay, Davina. Look at me, focus on me. I know you don't trust them, but you can trust me. I've never once lied to you. So believe me when I tell you that we _will_ find another way to save you. My sister has a group of friends back home who are notorious for finding that other way to make the impossible possible. It _can_ be done. And besides that, I totally owe you after you unlinked me from Sophie. Keeping you calm buys us more time to figure it out, so just take a deep breath….that's it."

As she continued to talk down Davina, she met Rebekah's eyes again and gave the slightest nod of her head. Rebekah got the message and quickly stuck the needle in Davina's arm. The winds instantly died down as the sedative began to relax Davina almost instantaneously. Once she was asleep, Cassandra slowly lowered her arm onto the bed and released her hand.

"You shouldn't have said all of that," Rebekah sighed as she stood up. "I know you meant well, but—"

"I know, Rebekah, " Cassandra sighed as she rose to her feet. "As soon as the words were out of my mouth I knew I shouldn't have gone there, but I couldn't just stop talking. And it's' not like what I said wasn't true."

"Maybe so, but as far as this girl is concerned, there is no other way. The Harvest must be completed or New Orleans will fall."

"Oh god," Cassandra brought a hand to her mouth as a sob rose in her chest. "I gave her false hope, didn't I? God, what have I done? I'm a horrible person!"

She choked back her cries as she ran from the room, completely ignoring the sound of Rebekah's voice calling out her name. She didn't stop until she'd reached the bedroom and crashed on the bed in a heap as her tears freely fell down her cheeks. On some level, she knew she was being a bit ridiculous, and that the pregnancy was probably a huge factor, but she couldn't stop crying. Someone, amidst her tears and blurred vision, she found her phone and dialed Caroline, but her sister didn't answer.

"Why would she? She's probably having all sorts of fun living the college life now," Cassandra shook her head, dropping her phone back onto the bed. She curled up into a ball and continued to cry softly until howling gust of wind began to blow the shutters back and forth against the windows. She rolled off the bed and shuffled over to peer outside through the glass. As she watched the trees dance around and stared at the dark clouds slowly rolling in overhead, her thoughts drifted to the visiting werewolves in the Bayou, werewolves descended from Klaus's bloodline. Her heart sank knowing they weren't prepared for a treacherous storm of fierce winds, thunderous rainfall, and blazing fire. She couldn't, in good conscience, sit back and do nothing knowing they were out there when she had the means to help them. With renewed purpose, she turned around and headed toward the door. She was a couple of feet away when Klaus walked into the room.

"Ah, Cassandra. There you are. I was—are you okay, love?" He stopped in front of her and reached out, brushing his fingertips against her cheek. "You've been crying."

"I'm fine" she gave him a weak smile. "I was beating myself up over something stupid I said to Davina. I told her we'd find another way to save her and your sister kindly pointed out after sedating her that it was foolish of me. I blame the crying on my crazy hormones. I don't usually get emotional over things like that."

"Hmmm, well, it seems that you are in need of cheering up, and I've got just the thing. Come with me," he held his hand out to her. She slipped her hand into his and followed him out of the room. He led her down to the courtyard over to a table near the back where some boxes of canned goods had been placed. Pointing at one of the boxes, he instructed her to pick it up while he grabbed a set of two stacked on top of each other and motioned for her to follow him out to his car.

"So where are we taking these?" she asked once they'd loaded them into the back of the car and drove away from the compound.

"Patience, love. You'll see soon enough," was all he said with a mysterious grin.

A little while after they'd been driving a bright light flashed in the sky followed by a loud rumbling boom. "The water stage is about to start, isn't it?" Cassandra asked as she stared out of the car window.

"Yes, it is," Klaus answered. "Which means we are running out of time."

They pulled up in front of St. Anne's Church a few minutes later. They grabbed the boxes of canned food out of the car and carried them inside. Cassandra's glanced from side to side, taking in her surroundings. She blinked in surprise when she saw the number of people inside the main hall. Following Klaus, they walked down the aisle to a dark haired man she instantly realized was a priest, given his black clergy attire.

"We still haven't gone through all that you've already provided, Klaus," the priest walked down the aisle to meet them.

"Well, this newest bit isn't solely from me," Klaus handed the boxes he and Cassandra were carrying to the priest.

"Oh?" The priest raised his eyebrows as he turned around and handed off the boxes to another man to take care of. He turned his gaze to Cassandra. "That's very kind of you."

"Cassandra," she murmured softly. She glanced from him back to Klaus with a puzzled expression on her face. "Who are all these people?"

"I asked Father Kieran to give them shelter. He suffers from an incessant desire to do good," Klaus flashed a smile at Cassandra before looking back at Kieran with a serious expression. "But now I need you to be useful. Marcel and Davina have disappeared." Kieran stared back at him dumbfounded. "I assume from the stupefied look on your face they haven't sought refuge in your attic."

"No. Those days are gone," Kieran answered curtly.

"Then energize your resources. I don't need to remind you how important it is they be found," Klaus spoke in a low voice.

"Yes," Kieran nodded and turned around to head back down the aisle to the front of the church. Cassandra watched him leave, blinking as the lights inside the church flickered from the growing storm outside.

"Klaus," Cassandra spoke, prompting him to turn around and face her. "These people…who are they? Why are you helping them?"

"They're werewolves," he murmured. "My clan from very far back."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "The visiting wolves from the Bayou…."

"Yes. They've fallen upon hard times, and their plight has brought out the philanthropist in me. What can I say? Must be Elijah's influence," he grinned at her. "Or perhaps yours."

"Oh, well, if our influence has caused you to help other people in need, I'll gladly take the credit for that," she laughed as she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "This means so much to me. They were on my mind with the growing storm outside and knowing that things are going to continue to get worse. I was actually going to talk to you about bringing supplies out to them, but now I don't need to. I'm really glad you decided to help them."

He wrapped his arms around her. "I thought you might be. As much as I hate to admit it, Elijah was right. The blood that runs in their veins runs in mine. And in our child. I can't very well let them all be wiped off the face of the earth to the point of near extinction now, can I?"

"No," she leaned in and pecked him on the lips. "You can't."

-o-

"It's taken one thousand years, but you've finally gone mad. Our own mother?" Rebekah stared at her older brother, Elijah, as she, Cassandra, and Klaus sat on the couch in the parlor a little while later. Elijah had just finished telling them that Sophie's attempt to consecrate Celeste's bones failed because there was no magic left in them to take. Sophie couldn't sacrifice Davina and complete the Harvest if she didn't have enough power to perform the ritual. Elijah then explained that what Sophie needed was another powerful dead witch whose bones were never consecrated, and he knew of one such witch—their mother.

"Yes, our beloved mother, who Niklaus has affectionately placed in a coffin in his basement, not daggered, but quite dead." Elijah faced the trio sitting on the couch, his hands resting on his hips. While Klaus tried to suppress a laugh at Elijah's remark, Cassandra wasn't sure if she should if she should feel irked that Klaus had kept his mother's dead body, or relieved.

"Well, she did try to kill us all," Klaus mused as he cast a sideways glance at Rebekah.

"Well, I say we put her to use and put her to rest once and for all," Elijah continued. "Now if we bury our mother on land owned by one of her descendants, she becomes a New Orleans witch, and we as her family share in that ancestral magic."

"We're vampires, Elijah. We can't practice magic," Rebekah pointed out. "Or own property for that matter."

"Yes. With regard to practicing magic, that's where Sophie comes in. After we bury our mother, we can channel all her power to Sophie, however, as conduits of Esther's magic, we will have to participate in the Harvest," Elijah told them.

"I still don't see why I needed to be here for this," Cassandra stared at him in confusion.

"I'm getting to that," Elijah flashed her a coy smile. He turned around and opened the top drawer of a unit against the wall behind him. He reached inside and pulled out a piece of paper. "Not all of our mother's descendants are dead."

"The baby," Klaus murmured as he met Cassandra's eyes. She instinctually placed a hand on her stomach as she glanced from him back to Elijah.

"The baby," Elijah confirmed Klaus's assumption. As he continued to speak he turned the paper around so Cassandra, Rebekah and Klaus could see it, then handed it to Klaus.. "The Parish Tax Assessor's office is just steps outside of the Quarter. Cassandra now holds the title to the plantation. So if we bury our mother there, and we consecrate those grounds, we can finish the Harvest ritual."

"You're a bit of a mad genius, Elijah," Klaus smirked. "Count me in."

Rebekah still had reservations. "Am I the only one thinking? Our mother was the most powerful witch in history. If we bury her, we hand that power to our enemies to use against us."

Elijah was quick to argue. "Given our circumstances, I hardly see that we have a choice, Rebekah."

"I don't know why I bother," Rebekah shook her head, sighing in defeat. "You two will just do what you want anyway."

"No," Elijah disagreed. "Our decision must be unanimous."

"This is not a democracy," Klaus growled, growing impatient.

"You're quite right," Elijah spoke calmly. "This is family."

A loud clap of thunder sounded, followed by a rush of pouring rain. They all stared at the window on the wall behind Elijah for a moment, until he spoke again. "Water. The next sign's begun." He turned his gaze back to Rebekah. "Rebekah?"

Sighing softly, she knew what she had to do. "Kill a demon today, face the devil tomorrow. Count me in."

Klaus's lips curled upwards in a giant grin. Well, this is no family reunion without our mother. I'll fetch her." He turned to Cassandra. "Be sure to dress for treacherous rain, love."

She nodded and watched has he stood up and left the room. She waited a beat, then got up and headed to her and Klaus's room to grab a pair of boots and her heavy black trench coat. Once they were all ready to go and Klaus had loaded the coffin with their mother's body into the back of his SUV, they climbed into the vehicle and headed over to the Plantation House.

Once there, Cassandra huddled under an umbrella with Elijah while Klaus supervised the transfer of the coffin from the SUV to the freshly dug whole in the yard. She had no idea how this was going to work and was about to ask Elijah about it when a dark colored sedan pulled up. She instantly recognized the figure that climbed out of the driver's side of the car as the priest she'd met earlier that day. _He must be here to help with the consecration of Esther's body,_ she thought to herself.

They all stood silently side by side while Father Kieran moved to the top part of the grave site and held a gold cross in his hand and mumbled some sort of prayer. When he was done, Father Kieran looked over at them.

"Are you ready to do this?" he asked.

Klaus lowered his hood and pulled a dagger out of his jacket pocket. He placed the tip against his palm and cast a quick glance at Rebekah, Elijah, and Cassandra. "Always and forever," he chanted with the tiniest of grins as he sliced his palm open. He handed the dagger to Rebekah and took the umbrella from her. She sliced her palm and passed the dagger on to Elijah. Cassandra gripped the umbrella tightly as she watched him drag the dagger across his palm. He turned to her and held out the dagger to her. She took it and handed him the umbrella. Taking a big breath, she pressed the tip of the blade against her palm and dragged it down, slicing through her skin. She closed her cut hand into a fist and handed the blade to Father Kieran who had walked over to take it from her. He turned and moved back to the grave, tossing the bloody dagger down into it.

"It is done," Kieran told them with a firm nod.

They all stood in the cemetery a little while later with Sophie, gathered around the altar where the bodies of the first three Harvest Girls lay. Klaus wrapped his arm around Cassandra as they stood huddled under an umbrella together, with Rebekah beside them and Elijah standing on top of an adjacent tomb for a higher view. Around the corner from where they stood, a brilliant flash followed by an eruption of tall flames drew their attention.

"Fire," Sophie murmured as the flames began to move towards them.

Rounding the corner at the front of the fire trial was Marcel with Davina in his arms. With each step he took, the flames licked at his heels. When he reached the altar, he carefully lowered Davina down to her feet. She gasped for breath as she straightened herself out. All eyes were on her as Sophie held out the ceremonial athame, a ritual double-bladed knife, over one of the altar flames before stepping up onto the altar and moving towards Davina.

"Do you believe in the Harvest?" Sophie asked in a low voice once she was standing in front of Davina.

Davina slowly nodded her head. "I believe."

Sophie pressed the athame blade against Davina's neck and slit her throat with it. Cassandra gasped softly and buried her face against Klaus's shoulder as Davina grabbed her throat and fell backwards into Marcel's awaiting arms. In an instant, the fire vanished and the rain stopped falling. Cassandra opened her eyes and blinked in surprise when she saw a golden glowing light move down the length of Davina's arm only to disappear once it reached her fingertips. The magic inside of her was finally being returned to the ancestors.

While Marcel laid Davina's body down next to the other Harvest girls, Klaus closed up the umbrella and set it aside before pulling Cassandra into his arms.

"I hate this," she whispered. "Seeing those poor girls lying there like that…"

"I know, love," he murmured softly. "It won't be much longer now."

With the four girls in place, they all stood close together while Sophie took her position beside the altar and began the next step. "After the Harvest comes the Reaping. Their sacrifices made and accepted, we call upon our elders to resurrect your chosen ones," she chanted.

Everyone stared at the four dead girls, waiting for them to show signs of life. After several long seconds, there was no change. Sophie tried again and repeated the same words a second, and then a third time, but still nothing happened.

"Please. I beg," Sophie tried one last time to no avail. As the realization that the girls weren't coming back to life began to hit her, she broke down and fell to her knees beside her niece and began to sob. Cassandra stared, as did the others, in utter shock. They all thought the ritual would work. She caught a glimpse of Marcel's face as he stared at Klaus. He was absolutely devastated. In the blink of an eye he was gone.

"I need to go after him," Klaus whispered in Cassandra's ear. "Head back with Elijah."

She nodded and received a kiss on the temple from him before he chased after Marcel.

The walk back to the compound was a quiet one. The streets were completely empty and felt like a ghost town. She was sure Elijah could have used vampire speed to get them back faster, but she was grateful he didn't. She was thoroughly enjoying the fresh, nighttime air.

"I still can't believe it didn't work," Cassandra murmured softly after a few more silent steps, keeping her eyes on the road in front of her. "I thought for sure the girls would come back to life once Davina was sacrificed. It just doesn't make any sense."

"As did I," Elijah agreed. "I never would have suggested it otherwise."

"I mean, we saw the power leave her, so the Harvest worked. But the Reaping...four were supposed to be brought back. So if not those four girls, then...what? Four others were resurrected instead?"

"Yes, that is what worries me."

He didn't say anything more on the matter, but a quick, sideways glance at his face told her he had more on his mind than he had voiced. She didn't press the issue, knowing he would tell her anything she needed to know.

"Well, I guess Sophie failing to bring her niece back works as a punishment for invading your privacy and breaking your promise to Celeste," she mused. She stole another glance at Elijah and could tell he was fighting the urge to smile.

"Indeed," he answered.

As she turned her gaze back to the path in front of her, she stepped down on a piece of gravel that had blended in with the street. Her foot began to slide, sending her weight backwards. She gasped and began to flail her arms to compensate for the shift in her balance and grabbed onto Elijah's arms as he swiftly caught her before she took a serious fall. Her heart pounded rapidly against her chest as Elijah held her by the waist. In the seconds that followed, as she waited for her brain to catch up with what had happened, she became aware of how close her face now was to his. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw his eyes flicker onto her lips and then reconnect with her gaze, but she couldn't be certain that she only imagined it. She shook the notion away as he helped her back to a standing position and let go of her.

"Thanks," she dropped her arms to her sides. "That could have been incredibly humiliating. And probably painful."

"You're welcome," a small smile tugged at his lips.

* * *

Sabine stood inside a candlelit tomb holding a small poppet over a bowl. She sliced the poppet's throat open and poured the blood into the bowl as she recited a spell. When she was done, she poured what was into the bowl into a goblet and raised it to her lips, drinking it's entire contents. She held her arm outstretched and watched as a golden glow slowly traveled up her limb until it faded away.

Out on the street, three people, three witches raised from the dead stood together, riddled with confusion.

"Why are we here?" A redhead wearing a flapper dress asked, eyeing the two people,

"Someone called us forth," the second of the three, a black man wearing a suit and hat answered. "Who?"

"I did," Sabine approached the trio.

"Sabine," the third witch whispered. She was the Witch Elder, Bastiana, killed during the Harvest ritual months ago. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Bastiana, I've had to endure people calling me 'Sabine' for almost a year now," Sabine scoffed. "I'd appreciate it if you called me by my real name—Celeste."


	11. Rebirth of an Enemy

**Oh wow, you guys. I'm positively beaming after everything you guys had to say after the last chapter. I want to end some of your worries. Klaus is not going to cheat on Cassandra with Genevieve. Get those ucky thoughts out of your heads right now and breath easy. Someone else asked some stuff that happens later on down the line (Season 2) and you'll just have to wait and see how Cassandra deals with the situation in question. The theories and input you guys keep coming up with blows my mind. I love that you guys are just as invested in this as I am. I think you guys are really going to enjoy this chapter. There's some Cassandra/Cami, Cassandra/Elijah, some Forbes sister fun, and of course it wouldn't be complete without some Cassandra/Klaus fluff too. Someone wondered about Klaus getting jealous of how close Cassandra and Elijah are getting and, well, pay close attention because there just might be something to that in this very chapter. With that said, have fun!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - Rebirth of an Enemy**

Cassandra nearly dropped her phone as she stared wide eyed at her reflection in the mirror. _I_ know _I wasn't showing like this when I went to bed last night. Holy crap!_ She ran a hand over her now indisputable, blatantly obvious baby bump. She turned from to side to side, then faced the mirror again. It didn't matter what angle she stood at. Her round tummy was noticeable from all sides now.

"Wow," she whispered in awe. "No hiding it from the world anymore. Ugh."

She lowered her shirt and began to walk back into the bedroom when her phone began to buzz in her hand. She was surprised to see Cami's name on her screen and quickly answered the call. "Cami, hey! I totally meant to call you after getting your message but things got a little nuts around here."

"I'm sure they did. Listen, is there any chance you can get out of there and come over to my place? We really, _really_ need to talk about Klaus," Cami spoke with urgency in her voice.

"I wish I could, but..." Cassandra trailed off, unsure of what reason to give her friend for why she couldn't leave the compound. She knew sneaking out was a bad idea, but what if she got someone to take her, like Rebekah or Elijah? But then, if they did that, they'd surely hear whatever it was Cami needed to tell her, and she wasn't sure that was a good idea. No, she thought it best she find out whatever it was that Cami wanted to talk to her about before involving anyone else. "You know what? Forget that. I'll find a way to get over there."

"Great. I'll send you my address. Come alone. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. See you..." Cassandra trailed off when she realized Cami had already hung up.

Exhaling slowly, she left her phone on the bed and got dressed. After she was ready, she started to reach for her purse, then thought better of it and recoiled her hand. If she took it with her, it'd be a dead giveaway that she was planning to go out. _It's not like I need it anyway. All I need is my phone._

Before leaving the room she read the address Cami sent her and put it in her navigation app. She was relieved to see that Cami's apartment was less than ten blocks away. "The closer, the better," she murmured to herself as she turned off the screen and slid her phone into her pocket.

She kept her demeanor casual as she made her way down the hall to the second floor balcony overlooking the courtyard. She looked down and spotted Klaus heading down the corridor that lead to the front gate. _Well, that's good timing,_ she smiled to herself. Noting the presence of Marcel's vampire posse milling about in the courtyard, she knew she needed to find another way out. _The pool! There has to be a gate out back!_ Her mind raced as she made her way through the interior of the compound towards the back deck leading to the pool. She cautiously peered around to see if anyone was lurking and sighed in relief to find the area deserted. She panned around the area looking for a gate that led outside the property and felt her heart race when her eyes landed on an iron barred structure. She quickly strode over to it and held her breath as she carefully pushed it open, praying it didn't squeak. It moved silently and effortlessly. She quickly slipped past it and shut it behind her.

Relief flooded her body as she began to make her away around the corner of the property to the street. Now all she had to do was get back before anyone noticed her absence. Not wanting to waste any time, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and brought up the map to Cami's house. She made quick work of maneuvering her way through the streets of the French Quarter and arrived at Cami's apartment building in no time. She sent Cami a quick text to let her know she was there and headed up the stairs. She smiled as she reached Cami's apartment door and found Cami standing there waiting for her.

"You made it. Great. Come on in," she motioned for Cassandra to follow her inside.

"Yeah, piece of cake," Cassandra nodded as she walked through the doorway. Her lips curled into a smile as she looked around at the quaint, studio apartment. "Aw, I love your place. It's very homey."

"Thanks," Cami smiled.

"So," Cassandra faced her. "I'm here. What did you need to tell me? Not gonna lie, you have me incredibly curious."

Cami motioned for Cassandra to join her on the couch and waited until they were both situated to begin talking. "What I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy and impossible to believe, but I promise you it's very real, and it's the god's honest truth. I can prove it."

"O...kay," Cassandra answered slowly.

"Klaus, the guy you've been seeing, the father of your baby, he's half vampire, half werewolf," Cami cut right to the chase.

Cassandra blinked in surprise. "W-what? How—"

"He and his family are the oldest vampires in the world. And his friend Marcel...also a vampire."

"How did you find out about this?"

"Davina, a girl Marcel was protecting, happens to be a witch. After your boyfriend compelled me, mind controlled me, to spy on Marcel and report back to him, then forget everything I'd learned since meeting him, she was able to undo it so that I could remember everything he'd forced me to forget, including the truth about what really happened to my twin brother, Sean."

"Oh my god. You know," Cassandra whispered. She took a deep breath and met Cami's eyes. "I was hoping you wouldn't ever have to find out about the supernatural world."

"Wait a minute," Cami stared at her. "Are you telling me you already knew about this?"

"That his family are The Originals, about the existence of vampires and witches, yes. I actually knew about Klaus and his family before we ever met. It's a long story, one best saved for a rainy day with lots of liquor handy, but I swear I had no idea he was compelling you. If I had, I certainly would have stopped him and found a way to get you some vervain so he wouldn't be able to manipulate you anymore."

"So you know about vervain."

"Yeah," Cassandra nodded and held up her necklace. "My sister gave this to me last year after I moved back home. There's vervain inside. As long as I wear it, I can't be compelled."

"Well, that's something," Cami arched her eyebrows. "Here's what I don't understand. How can you be with him knowing who he is and what he's done?"

"Oh man," Cassandra fought the urge to laugh. "I should introduce you to my sister. The two of you would be able to compare notes on how awful you both think Klaus is."

"So why are you with him then? He's narcissistic, paranoid, has abandonment issues, not to mention—"

"Cami, I know all of that. It's...complicated, okay? Just know that he does have a softer side. I think being a father will change him too. Did I tell you we found out...it's a girl?"

Cami's face softened. "No. You didn't. That's...that's pretty awesome. Congratulations."

"Thanks," Cassandra smiled, placing a hand on her baby bump. Knowing there was one other thing she had to say made a lump appear in her throat. She swallowed slowly and took a deep breath. "Listen there's something I need to tell you. About Davina. Something's happened."

Cami nodded and listened as Cassandra told her about what had happened in the cemetery. "We still don't know why it didn't work," Cassandra sighed. "And now she's, I don't know, stuck on The Other Side, or in some supernatural limbo or something."

"Oh wow," Cami gasped. "That's horrible. Marcel must be devastated."

Cassandra nodded her head. "Yeah, he is. I wish I knew what to say to him, but I know in the end nothing I could say will take the pain away. Anyway, I should probably go. Klaus will have a cow if he finds out I snuck out. I'm not really supposed to leave the compound, or at least I wasn't while I was linked to Sophie, but that's not an issue anymore."

They rose from the couch and walked to the door. "Well, this definitely didn't go how I had envisioned, but I'm glad we're on the same page." Cami sighed softly. She gave Cassandra a quick hug. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will. I'm just glad you're not mad at me for keeping all this from you," Cassandra murmured.

"Unlike some other people, I can completely understand why you never said anything. I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your position. Now, go. Hurry up and get back before you get caught. I don't want to give Klaus any reason to be mad at you."

"Okay, I'm going, I'm going," Cassandra laughed and scurried out the front door.

She let out a breath as she walked outside and began to head back to the compound, taking the same route as before only in reverse. She was relieved that Cami knew the truth, but she was angry with Klaus for using her the way he did, and she intended to let him know it.

When she was halfway back to the compound, she rounded a corner and froze as her eyes landed on Elijah waiting to cross at the next block, the block she was headed towards. She thought about backing up to hide around the corner she'd just turned from, but he spotted her before she could attempt any sort of backwards movement. _Aw, crap. Busted,_ she groaned inwardly. _Well, better him than Klaus._

Elijah folded his arms across his chest and arched his eyebrows at her as she approached him. "Cassandra, what are you doing out here?"

Cassandra clasped her hands together and rested them against her stomach. "Uh, well, I was meeting a friend. She needed to talk to me about something. It was urgent. I saw no reason why I couldn't meet her at her apartment. I'm not linked to Sophie, my pregnancy is no secret anymore."

"You shouldn't be out without telling someone. We would have had no way of knowing if something happened to you."

"Okay, I will admit sneaking out may not have been the smartest move, but I don't regret it."

"Why not ask Niklaus or I to take you to this friend of yours?"

"I thought about it," Cassandra answered. "And I knew if I asked Klaus he'd outright refuse because he wouldn't have wanted me to find out what my friend had to say about him, and I knew if I asked you to take me, you'd end up hearing whatever it was my friend needed to tell me, and I preferred to hear it without any of you around first."

"Does this friend have a name?" He asked as he motioned for her to start walking beside him.

Cassandra nodded. "Cami O'Connell. Bartender over at Rousseau's."

"Ah, she's an O'Connell. We had dealings with her ancestors after we first built this city," he mused.

He fell silent as they walked, mulling things over in his mind. She waited to see if he was going to ask about what she and Cami had talked about, but was surprised when he said nothing. She wondered if he knew all along what Klaus had been up to, but she couldn't know for sure if she didn't tell him what she knew first.

"Klaus was compelling Cami to spy on Marcel," she blurted out. She went on to tell him everything else she'd learned. "Did you know about this?"

"No. I did not."

"Oh. Well, good. I don't have a reason to be mad at you then."

"Lucky me," a tiny smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"So," she twiddled her thumbs nervously as she stared ahead at the path in front of them. "Are you going to tell Klaus about my sneaking out?"

"Only if he asks me directly," Elijah murmured. "Though I think it would fare a lot better coming from you."

Cassandra nodded silently. She didn't want to tell him, but she couldn't help admitting Elijah was right. By the time they'd reached the entrance to the compound, she still hadn't decided what she was going to do. She was surprised to find the courtyard completely empty, and figured Klaus must have sent the vampires she'd recalled being there earlier out on some sort mission. Shrugging it off, she slowly made her way upstairs. She could hear the sound of Klaus's voice and followed it to the Parlor room where she found him and Marcel. Judging by the tone of Klaus's voice he was annoyed with Marcel.

"If the men see you shirk your duties, they'll likely do the same," she heard Klaus scoff as he spoke. She arrived at the doorway as Marcel leaned forward in his seat and declared he wasn't in the mood for vampire hijinks, confirming her suspicions on why the courtyard was currently deserted.

She tapped on the door lightly with her knuckle, making her presence known and interrupting Klaus before he could say anything further to Marcel. "Hey," she murmured lightly. "Sorry for interrupting."

"Cassandra," Klaus smiled at her as she walked towards him. "I wondered where you'd disappeared to. No apologies necessary, love."

"Right. Well, now that I have your attention, we need to have a little a little chat about something," she folded her arms across her chest. Before continuing, she turned her head toward Marcel. "Stick around, Marcel. You'll definitely want to hear this, too."

"Okay," he nodded.

"What's this about, love?" Klaus eyed her curiously.

"This is about you manipulating and using my friend Cami to do your bidding," she told him.

Marcel stared at Cassandra in surprise. "You know Cami?"

She glanced from Klaus's surprised face to Marcel's. "I do. I met her my first night here, months ago. I ended up at Rousseau's for dinner after catching the smell of Sophie's gumbo, and she happened to be bartending that night. We started talking, and clicked pretty fast. We've stayed in touch since then." She paused and turned back to Klaus. "I would have told you, but I knew what you'd do if you knew the things I'd told her in confidence. Yet, it doesn't even matter anymore, because you went and did the very thing I was trying to protect her from in the first place."

"I can assure you, love, I had my reasons for it."

" Oh yeah? Well, do something like that again to her or anyone else I care about and you'll find yourself sleeping alone. Indefinitely. And if you think I'm bluffing, try me and see."

Seeing the seriousness of her words reflected in her eyes, he let out a soft, resigned sigh. "Fine."

"Good. Thank you," Cassandra smiled in victory. She turned to leave so Klaus and Marcel could get back to their previous conversation, but before she had the chance to take a step Diego walked into the room.

"Hey guys," his face was covered in worry as he stared at Klaus and Marcel. "We got a problem."

* * *

"Use to run things down here for Marcel," Thierry told Rebekah as they walked through a warehouse down by the docks. The two had recently formed an alliance after Thierry had been released from Marcel's prison in The Garden, deciding to join forces. "Thought you'd like to see what I found before Klaus did."

"Not a day out of The Garden, and you're already proving yourself useful," Rebekah was pleased by his quick rush to share his discovery with her before anyone else.

"We made a deal, and if it screws things up with your brother, I'm all for it, though to be honest, this stuff makes my skin crawl," he stared at the ground as they came to a stop next to a salt circle with bones and candles arranged inside it. "I've never seen anything like this."

Rebekah's eyes widened as recognition flashed into her mind. "I have, a long time ago. Somebody is copycatting a very dangerous witch. They draw their power from sacrifice. I just don't understand why someone would leave it here for us to find…unless they wanted it to be found."

"Mademoiselle Mikaelson," a voice Rebekah never thought she'd hear ever again called out, causing her to spin around towards it in a rush.

"That's not possible," she stared in disbelief at the man known as Papa Tunde appeared, wearing a white suit and gold bow-tie.

"Sure, it is, chére. It's magic," Papa Tunde tilted his head slightly. Rebekah rushed at him with vampire speed, intending to kill him, but he grabbed her by the neck, stopping her, and began to chant as Thierry watched frozen in fear. " _Symbole du masque et de l'ombre, embrace-toi."_

He repeated the chant over and over, slowly weakening her with each repeated phrase. Not wanting to become the next victim, Thierry whooshed away faster than a bat out of hell. As she dropped to her knees and began to desiccate, he pulled out a curved, bone blade and used the tip to carve a symbol into her forehead. Once she was completely incapacitated, he laid her in the middle of the salt circle and brought out a snake. Holding it over her, he sliced it open, allowing it's blood to flow and sprinkled it all over her before laying it down on the ground beside her body. It was an animal sacrifice, part of his sacrificial magic ritual. To complete it, he moved and knelt down beside Rebekah's head, carefully pressing a thumb to the symbol he'd carved in her forehead and held it there until the link was complete. As he stood up, Celeste, in Sabine's body, came walking up to him in the warehouse.

"It is done," he spoke, keeping his back to her. "The power of the Original Sister flows through me."

"And will that be enough to make Klaus suffer?" Celeste/Sabine asked

"I will hurt Klaus Mikaelson as he hurt me. When I am done, he will wish that he could die," he slowly turned to face Celeste with an evil, look of determination in his eyes.

* * *

After Klaus had taken off with Marcel and Diego to investigate whatever it was the vampires discovered in the Quarter, Cassandra made herself comfortable on the couch and decided to call her sister. Caroline apologized profusely for being out of touch for so long and filled her in on what had happened, the most startling and amazing part being the news that Bonnie was alive. Cassandra had nearly dropped her phone when she heard the Bennett Witch's voice in the background. The way Caroline had explained it, Silas's true love, Amara, had been made into The Anchor to the Other Side by Qetsiyah. The Anchor was a mystical being that the spell creating the Other Side was tethered to. Amara wanted to die, So Qetsiyah transferred the role of Anchor over to Bonnie, giving her the ability to interact with both the living world and The Other Side. She'd been so wrapped up in listening to Caroline that she didn't notice she'd wandered into Davina's old room until she saw the sketches on the tall easel.

"So when are you going to come back here for a visit?" Caroline's subject change was a big relief to Cassandra.

"As soon as they take care of this new threat that's emerged. Some witch is practicing Sacrificial Magic and using vampires as it's victims. I think I heard something about channeling their energy, but I'm not completely sure. I'll have to pick Elijah's brain later. He'll be more quick to give me answers than Klaus."

"Well, tell them to hurry up already. We need to set a date for that epic baby shower I'm going to throw you so I can start planning and get invitations out," Caroline chirped with excitement.

"I know, I know," Cassandra let out a soft chuckle. She walked up the easel and grabbed the stack of sketches, carrying them back over to the bed. "I promise, you'll be the first to know whatever's happening here's been dealt with."

"Good. I better be. I miss you, Cass. I got my best friend back, now I just need my big sister," Caroline murmured.

Cassandra could feel her eyes instantly welling up with tears. "Ugh! Okay, no saying things like that. You'll make me cry," she laughed and wiped her eyes before the tears could fall.

"I'm done. I swear. I should probably go anyway. Bonnie's giving me the impatient Bennett glare."

"Heh, okay. Give her a big hug for me. I promise I'll call again soon with an update and hopefully some travel plans. Let's not tell mom so it can be a surprise."

"Deal!"

The two sisters shared a giggle before hanging up. Cassandra stuffed her phone into her pocket and began thumbing through the sketches, though she had no idea what she was looking for. She was alerted by the sound of approaching footsteps, but she wasn't worried and kept her eyes on the drawings.

"There you are," Elijah's soft voice called out as he stepped into the room.

"Here I am," she replied lightly as her eyes flickered up to him.

He walked further into the room, taking notice of the sketches in front of her on the bed. "Davina's drawings."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Morbid, I know. I was just thinking, we never figured out why she drew those pictures of Celeste. I'm not really sure what I was looking for or hoped to find. I guess I'm just killing time now that I'm back to being on vampire lock down with the new threat that's out there."

"Whoever did this, we will deal with them. It won't be long," he tried to reassure her.

"Good. The sooner the better," she flashed him a small smile.

"Yes, I believe you were hoping to make some kind of travel plans in the near future," an amused grin creeped out onto his face.

"Ah. So you heard that, huh? Well, yeah. I was talking to my sister. I miss her. And my mom. I want to go back home to Mystic Falls to see them. I know it's out of the question until the witch or witches causing mayhem is dealt with, but once you guys have taken care of it I'll be able to go see them."

"I think that could be arranged. You've more than earned it."

"You know what?" She stood up from the bed and scooped the drawings up into her arms. "I have." She walked over to the easel and placed the bundle of pages back on it. "I just hope your brother feels the same way."

"Oh, I don't think he'll be against it. And if he is, I'll take you myself."

"Now that," Cassandra turned around to face him, a wide grin on her face. "I'm gonna hold you to."

They walked side by side back downstairs to the courtyard. Once they were there, Elijah pulled out his phone and called Rebekah. She could tell from Elijah's face that Rebekah wasn't answering. She dug her own phone back out and tried Rebekah's number, but it went straight to voice mail. She shoved her phone back into her pocket and walked up to Elijah as he made another failed attempt to reach his sister.

He turned toward her with worry on his face. "Rebekah is not answering her calls."

"Yeah, I tried calling her too. Same result," she folded her arms across her chest. "You worried about who ever killed those daywalkers still being out there?"

"Frankly, I'm worried that she had something to do with this. Despite her knowing how much Niklaus means to you, she still has her own anger towards him for everything he's done to her. She's afraid he's going to pull the rug out from under her if she lets her guard down long enough."

"Oh, she better not be behind this. Not if she still wants to be part of her niece's life."

"Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? She may, perhaps, even be conspiring with others," he turned around and stared at a table in the corner where Thierry sat with a glass and a bottle of bourbon. Elijah called out to the vampire as he made his way over, with Cassandra following right behind him. "Thierry, isn't it?"

"That's right," Thierry gazed up at Elijah warily.

"My sister is rather fond of you. Strange, she's not typically drawn to unremarkable men," Elijah spoke with a hard face. "Would you care to explain your sudden magnetism?"

"I don't know what you're—" Thierry started to answer when Elijah grabbed him by the neck and pinned him against the wall in the blink of an eye. Cassandra had to jog over to catch up with them.

"You can either tell me what you know or I can distribute tiny pieces of you throughout the Quarter," Elijah threatened in a cool, velvety voice.

Thierry gasped for breath beneath Elijah's stone grasp. "She asked me to keep an eye out on witch stuff. I found something, and when I showed her, we were jumped by some guy. He desiccated her with his touch."

"Oh my god," Cassandra covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped softly.

Elijah tightened his grip on Thierry's throat and banged him backwards against the wall. "And like a coward, you left her."

"What was I supposed to do? Fight some warlock that took out an Original?" Thierry stared back at him with terror filled eyes.

"Where was this exactly?" Cassandra spoke up.

Thierry shifted his gaze onto her. "The docks, Warehouse Fifty-seven. I was just doing what she asked. You cannot tell Klaus about this."

Cassandra met Elijah's eyes, knowing neither of them had any desire to be the bearer of this particular news to Klaus, especially after the big show he made of releasing Thierry from The Garden. Elijah turned back to Thierry and effortlessly tossed him by the shoulder against an adjacent wall, effectively rendering him unconscious.

"I shall take that into consideration," he smirked at Cassandra before turning to head down the corridor that led to the gate.

"I'm coming with you," Cassandra started to follow after him.

"No, stay here," Elijah turned and held a hand out. "Compound is safe."

"Rebekah is in trouble. After everything she's done to help me and keep me safe, I _have_ to help her, Elijah. I'm going," She started to walk past him when he grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to spin around and face him again.

"Do not leave my sight. Understand?" He spoke softly as he made eye contact with her. She nodded her head vigorously.

It didn't take them long to get to the docks. Once they found Warehouse 57, they made their way inside. As they rounded a corner of stacked wood pallets, Cassandra noticed a salt circle with a bunch of symbols drawn inside and candles placed around it. A few yards a head was a second circle, and this one contained Rebekah's body.

"Rebekah," Elijah murmured, running towards her. Cassandra followed, and let out a squeak when they were both stopped by an invisible force field as soon as they had reached the edge of the salt circle.

"What's happening?" Cassandra gasped, taking a step back.

Elijah held a hand out to keep her away. "Some kind of boundary spell."

"Like the one Esther used to keep the vampires inside the school the night of the Twenties Decade Dance," Cassandra recalled the last time she'd witnessed the use of such a spell.

"I wasn't aware of that, but yes. Something like that," Elijah nodded. He stared at Rebekah's lifeless, desiccated body. "Someone is channeling her. Typically it's a lethal process, but because she's an Original, she cannot die. Instead, she's an endless source of power."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Cassandra stared at the spelled circle.

Elijah spun around to face her. "You have to get her out of there."

"M-me? What can I do?" Cassandra stammered, taken aback by Elijah's words.

"Give me a moment to find that out," he answered as he pulled his phone out. He called Sophie's number and put her on speaker phone before explaining the situation to her as he paced back and forth. "We cannot enter the circle. There's some kind of confinement spell or—if I can't remove her, we can't break the link."

"It's a convoluted spell," Sophie told them. "It's like a witch's recipe. You can spoil the balance by adding a more potent ingredient, a mystical binding agent, I don't know. Volcanic ash, rock salt, anything up to and including eye of newt."

While Sophie was talking, Elijah turned to look at Cassandra as a realization occurred to him. He slowly moved his gaze back to the circle and knelt down. "What about the blood of a witch?" He spoke softly. Cassandra's hands moved up to rest on her stomach as she realized what Elijah was getting at.

"Do you have the blood of a witch?" Sophie asked, puzzled. Ignoring her, Elijah ended the call and put his phone into his inside jacket pocket. He gazed up at Cassandra, who had her hands protectively on her stomach.

"I need a favor," he murmured.

"The baby," Cassandra spoke in a soft voice. Elijah nodded. "She's a quarter witch."

As Elijah stood up, she walked up to stand beside him. She stared at Rebekah, her heart beginning to pound in her chest as she thought about what she had to do to save her friend. Determined to do whatever was necessary, she met Elijah's eye and held her wrist up to him, nodding to let him know he had permission to bite her. Holding her elbow in one hand, he placed his other hand along the outside of her wrist and lowered his mouth onto her skin. She pinched her eyes shut, wincing as his fangs punctured her flesh, and opened them again once he pulled his mouth away. He guided her arm and held her wrist over the circle, allowing her blood to drop onto the white outline. The salt began to bubble and fizzle as the blood made contact, slowly spreading until it covered the entire outline.

Once Elijah was sure the spell had been broken, he released Cassandra's arm and carefully stepped over the barrier. He scooped Rebekah up into his arms and whooshed over to where Cassandra stood, effectively cutting off the witch who had been channeling her. Rebekah's natural color instantly began to return to her skin as the desiccation wore off and her body began regenerating itself. Not wanting to stick around and wait for her to wake up, they rushed out of the warehouse and headed back to the compound.

-o-

Cassandra stood with her arms resting on banister of the second floor balcony, watching and listening as Klaus addressed the congregation of vampires in the courtyard. He was trying to rally them into joining him in the fight against the witch uprising in the Quarter. She wasn't surprised to see a handful turn their backs and leave. Quickly losing interest, she turned around and headed back down the hall, completely unaware that Elijah had been watching her from somewhere in the crowd of vampires below.

She wasn't paying much attention to where she was wandering to and eventually found herself on the balcony outside her and Klaus's bedroom, overlooking the Quarter. She was incredibly bummed over the fact that Klaus hadn't been able to kill the witch responsible for harming Rebekah, and even more surprised to learn the witch had been someone he, in fact, had killed a hundred years ago.

"It has to be because of the Harvest," she murmured to herself. _Sophie said after the Harvest came the Reaping where the four girls were supposed to basically rise from the dead. But it didn't work, and now I think I'm beginning to understand why._

"A witch Klaus killed a hundred years ago is back from the dead. Davina and three other girls were supposed to be brought back, but they weren't. Which means somehow someone was able to use the power that was supposed to bring back the girls to instead ressurect this other crazy witch. Does that mean three other crazy witches were also brought back? And how does Celeste fit into all of this? Ugh!" She growled in frustration, banging her fist lightly against the balcony rail. There were too many questions that still needed answers. She let out a sigh and stared down at her stomach, rubbing it slowly with her hand. "At least you're nice and safe in there lit—no, that's your father's nickname for you, not mine. I guess I'll have to come up with my own."

She felt her body slowly start to relax as she began brainstorming ideas, smiling at the different possibilities. She knew, though, that it wouldn't be something she could just think up on a whim. It would more than likely come about on its own, once her daughter was born and began developing her own personality. The possibilities of the kind person her daughter would be like sent a rush of anxious excitement through her.

"I can't wait to meet you," she murmured softy, continuing to rub her baby bump.

"Nor can I," Klaus appeared in the balcony doorway with a smile on his face. She turned around to face him and leaned back against the railing as he walked up to her and brought his hands to her waist. "I heard you had quite the eventful evening."

"You spoke with Elijah," she realized. "Okay, I know what you're going to say. It was reckless, right? Stupid, dangerous, all of the above."

"Well, yes," he chuckled. "That is very true, but I was actually just going to say that I am very grateful, as is Rebekah, that you were able to aid in saving her, and you are never to do that again. Leave the witch hunting to us immortals, okay?"

She nodded her head slowly. "Okay. So did Elijah tell you how we saved her?"

"I didn't stick around long enough to ask for any details," he answered. Her lips formed a small 'oh' in surprise. "But perhaps I should have. How did you do it?"

"Sophie said we needed a strong binding agent to break up the spelled circle. Our daughter is a quarter witch, so we used my blood to do it. Only, because neither of us had a knife to slice open my hand, Elijah had to bite my wrist to draw blood."

"He what?" Klaus whispered, his eyes narrowing as he pressed his lips together and tightened his jaw. It wasn't an expression she was accustomed to seeing on his face.

"Oh..oh my god," she covered her mouth, fighting the giggle that rose in her chest as her eyes widened. "Wow. You're jealous." When he didn't say anything, she held her wrist up in front of his face. "Here. If it will make you feel better, go right ahead. Seriously. Have a taste. I'm giving you full permission."

Klaus too her arm in his hands and brought her wrist closer to his face, pressing his nose against her skin to inhale her sweet human scent before raising it to his mouth. Instead of biting into her flesh, he pressed his lips gently against her wrist in a warm kiss.

"No, love. I do not wish to bite you. Not now, not ever. Now then," he pulled her into his arms. "What's this I hear about you wanting to take a trip to Mystic Falls?"

"How…?"

"Elijah, of course."

"Of course," she shook her head, laughing softly as she rested her arms on top of his shoulders. "I miss my family and I want to go see them. I know it's too dangerous right now with all the attacks going on in the city, but now that I'm no longer linked to Sophie and Silas is dead, I want to take the trip sometime in the near future, preferably before the baby gets here."

"I think that is a very reasonable request, and one I am most happy to grant," he paused, bringing a hand up to stroke the side of her face. "As soon as we've taken care of this new threat, I'd be glad to take you."

"Mmm, I'm gonna hold you to that," she grinned and leaned in, capturing his lips in a sweet kiss.


	12. Caught In The War

**Wow. I wasn't sure how you guys were going to take the whole Cassandra/Elijah development, and I must say I am very pleasantly surprised. I just hope I'm not on the brink of a Team Elijah vs. Team Klaus war. (Though I'm not sure I'd complain too much!) I think it's safe to say this chapter is chalk full of action. We're in the second half of season one now, so hold on to your hats, 'cause things are gonna get a lot more intense as we progress. Thank you guys so much for all of the amazing things you had to say about the last chapter. I'll never be able to say it enough. You guys are the best. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - Caught In The War**

"Thank you all for coming. It means more than I can tell you," Father Kieran addressed the room full of parishioners from the pulpit at the front of the stage. Among those in attendance were Cassandra, Klaus and Marcel, along with Cami, but she was seated a few rows up. Cassandra had been surprised when Klaus asked her if she would like to attend the church's reopening mass the following morning. Even though she wasn't catholic, she jumped at the chance to do something in the city and eagerly accepted his invitation. Klaus held her hand in his, their fingers intertwined, as they listened to Father Kieran continue with his message. "We gather today for the first public service of our newly reopened church. St. Anne's can finally once again be the heart of our community where we can congregate as a people united."

As Father Kieran spoke, Cassandra shifted her eyes over to where her friend Cami was sitting. Cami turned her head back, and their eyes met. Cassandra smiled at her, and Cami returned it with a smile of her own before shifting her gaze forward again. A moment later, Cassandra could hear Klaus leaning to the side to whisper something to Marcel. They were talking too softly for her to understand anything they were saying, so she shrugged it off and focused her attention on Father Kieran. As he mentioned that they were there with the help of many benefactors, she saw the tiniest of smiles start to appear on the corners of Klaus's mouth and had to suppress a chuckle.

After the service, Cassandra headed outside with Klaus and Marcel to greet Father Kieran. "Lovely sermon this morning, Father," Klaus was the first to shake his hand. "Quite inspirational."

"I wasn't expecting you to join us," Kieran smiled politely. He shook Marcel's hand, then Cassandra's. "I'm glad you could make it."

"So am I," Cassandra smiled.

"Oh, we were hoping for some word from your human sources on the recent Haitian invasion," Klaus cut right to the chase.

"My eyes have their ears to the ground, and no one has seen or heard any sign of whatever his name is," Kieran gave a slight shake of his head.

"He's called Papa Tunde," Marcel told him. "And right now he's wandering the Quarter with the power he absorbed from every soul I had buried in the garden. So you might want to put your ear a little closer to the ground."

Kieran had his own proposition. "Or I could steer clear of whatever war is brewing between your kind and his before I find myself—"

"I wanted to congratulate you on getting the church up and running," Cami suddenly stepped in front of Father Kieran and firmly shook his hand. "I can see this is a bad time." She paused and turned to Marcel, acknowledging him. "Nice to see you, Marcel. Oh.." she spun around to face Cassandra and gave her a quick hug. "It's nice to see you too, Cass. I see you've met my Uncle."

"Yeah, I'm glad to—wait. Your uncle?" Cassandra blinked in surprise.

"Mmm hmm," Cami nodded. "Call me later if you want to catch up more."

"Okay," Cassandra nodded, watching as she walked off completely ignoring Klaus.

"Cami," Kieran called out after her to no avail. He shot a glare at Klaus.

"Well, don't look at me. I tried to send her away," Klaus stared back defensively as his cell phone started to ring. He reached into his pocket for it and pulled it out, holding it up to his ear after answering it. "Yes, Diego. What do you have for me?"

"Uh," Diego let out a nervous breath. "We got a special delivery."

"Would you care to elaborate?" Klaus asked.

Cassandra watched Klaus's face, wishing like mad she could hear whatever it was Diego was telling him. Whatever it was, the most she could surmise was that it wasn't good. Sure enough, as soon as he hung up with Diego he took her hand in his and announced that he and Marcel needed to head back to the compound. What they found waiting there for them in the courtyard was disconcerting to say the least.

They stared at the dead body of the witch Marcel called Papa Tunde laying in the middle of a familiar white circle. Elijah knelt down beside the body, examining Papa Tunde's fatal wounds, searching for clues as to what had happened.

"Can I get you anything, brother?" Klaus looked on, impatience ringing in his voice. "A magnifying glass, a pipe perhaps?"

"You have a theory you'd like to share with us, Niklaus?" Elijah glanced up at his brother.

"Back in the day," Marcel jumped into the conversation. "the witches wanted to send a threat, they'd just kill a chicken and leave it on your doorstep."

"Ew, gross," Cassandra muttered under her breath, eliciting a smirk from Marcel.

"It's rather a large and ominous chicken, wouldn't you say?" Elijah slowly rose to his feet.

"Papa Tunde defeated Rebekah with ease, almost got the two of us as well," Klaus eyed Papa Tunde's body suspiciously.

"What?" Cassandra gasped, staring at Klaus wide eyed. "You never said—"

"I didn't want to worry you, love," Klaus gave her a soft look before turning back to body. "If he was supposed to be their prize fighter, why leave him for dead in our front yard?"

"Well, don't you all look cheery," Rebekah came strutting over to where they stood in the courtyard. "Listen to this...a girl literally exploded from a grave today as Sabine was giving her tour of the city of the dead. It was Monique Deveraux?"

"What?" Klaus growled and stared at Rebekah in surprised.

"The tourists thought it was part of the show, but the witches are celebrating like it's some kind of bloody miracle," Rebekah continued.

"Maybe it is. They think that all hope is lost, but now suddenly a Harvest Girl is resurrected. This is how we're gonna get Davina back," Marcel realized. "Kill the witch who took her place."

After Rebekah had dropped her bombshell, Cassandra's mind began racing as she went over everything having do with the witches, the Harvest, and how Davina's sketches factored in. Marcel's comment sparked a new thought, one that rocked her to her core.

"I have a theory about who one of the witches could be," she blurted out, causing all of them to stare at her. "Celeste. It's got to be. Davina was trying to tell us. She was drawing pictures of Celeste. She was warning us that a great evil is coming."

Klaus tightened his jaw, not at all thrilled by this revelation, as he eyed Elijah. "First Papa Tunde returns to settle old scores. Now your murdered lover is back. This isn't witches attacking vampires. They're declaring war on us."

-o-

"You're sure I'll be safe here?" Cassandra asked Rebekah as they climbed out of the car and walked up to the front door of the Plantation House.

"Yes," Rebekah nodded as she opened the door and lead the way inside. Cassandra had already taken care of inviting all of the Mikaelsons inside on the night they buried Esther's body on the plantation grounds after Elijah put the deed to the mansion in her name. "It's far enough outside the city where all of the attacks have been. No reason for you and your baby to get caught the crossfire from this new war that's brewing between vampires and witches. Now, come. I didn't have the new maternity wardrobe that is waiting for you upstairs sent here to collect dust."

"Wait..you did what?" Cassandra blinked and stared at Rebekah's grinning face in awe.

"Your tum is getting bigger is it not?' Rebekah raised her eyebrows, smiling as her gaze momenarily flickered onto Cassandra's protruding stomach. "You need clothes that will be more accommodating for the growth that will continue to occur throughout the second half of your pregnancy."

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Cassandra's lips spread into a wide grin. She hurried up the stairs after Rebekah and found a couple of clothes racks lined up in her old bedroom. It didn't take long for Cassandra's arms to fill up with garments to try on. The thing that amazed her the most was how well Rebekah had been able to pick out clothes that fit Cassandra's style. "You know, I'm really beginning to like having you as my personal stylist. Don't you dare tell my sister I said that. She'd have a cow."

"Yes, I suppose she would," Rebekah chuckled at the thought. "Now, shoo. I can't wait to see how some of these outfits look _on_ you."

"Okay, okay. I'm going!" Cassandra scurried into the bathroom. She peeled off her shirt and pulled a cute empire-waist blouse off of a hanger. As she slipped her arms through the sleeves and began to pull the fabric over her head, she felt her phone buzzing in her back pocket. She quickly pulled it out and found Cami's name flashing back at her. She tapped the answer button and held the phone up to her ear. "Hey Cami."

"Oh, thank god!" Cami let out a breath of relief. "I wasn't sure you were gonna answer. I need your help. Well, I need you to talk to Klaus for me. It's my Uncle Kieran."

"Woah, slow down," Cassandra sat down on top of the covered toilet seat. "What happened?"

"Sorry. I'm just...really freaking out right now. A witch cursed him. It's the same curse that was placed on my brother."

Cassandra's eyes widened in horror as she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my god!"

"There's more. This witch, she told me if I want to save him, all I have to do is plunge this curvy blade into Klaus's heart. She said it will cause untold pain and torment, even to an Original."

"What?" Cassandra shrieked.

"I'm not going to do it," Cami spoke quickly. "I would never do that to you. And it's not who I am either."

"Oh. Thank goodness for that."

"Listen, Cass. I-I need a favor. I don't know what else to do or who else to ask, but I also don't want you to think this is some kind of ruse. I…could you call Klaus? If anyone can figure out a way out of this…"

"He can," Cassandra finished. "I trust you, Cami. I'll call him. I'm not sure what he'll be able to do, but like you said, if anyone can….anyway, stay strong. Call me if you need anything else, okay? You don't have to go through this alone. I lost my dad last year, he was murdered while he had vampire blood in his system, and refused to complete the transition to becoming a vampire. I don't know how I would have gotten through that without my mom and my sister so…just know I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Cass. That means a lot. I should go, but I will keep you posted." Cami murmured.

They murmured their goodbyes and hung up. Cassandra quickly pulled up Klaus's number and explained the situation with Cami and her uncle as quickly as she could.

"Please, Klaus. She's my friend, and he's all the family she has left. If there's anything you can do to help him, please do it," she pleaded softly.

"Kieran is a good man. He does not deserve this," Klaus sighed softly. "I will do what I can to help him, but I make no promises."

"Thank you. I'll let her know you're coming. They're at the church."

"Right, well, I best be off. I better not see you there, do you hear me?"

"But—"

"No buts, love. I need you to stay right where you are," Klaus was adamant about this.

Cassandra let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. You be careful too. I know you're the all-powerful Original Hybrid, but that doesn't mean the witches won't try again to take you down."

"Don't worry about me, sweetheart. Like you said, I am the all-powerful Original Hybrid."

"Ugh, I have a strong feeling I'm going to regret that particular choice of words."

"Perhaps," Klaus chuckled lightly. She was certain he was grinning from ear to ear.

They lingered on the phone for a few moments longer before disconnecting. Cassandra sent a text to Cami to let her know Klaus was heading to the church to help her uncle. When she was done, she set her phone on the bathroom counter and went back to trying on clothes and modeling them for Rebekah. A couple of hours later she let out a big sigh of relief as she hung up the final piece of clothing after trying it on.

"Well, I'll just have this lot returned to the store then," Rebekah scooped the small pile of clothes Cassandra had decided she didn't want and carried it out to her car. Cassandra made herself comfortable on the couch and punched in a message to Caroline to tell her about the new outfits and send a couple of photos she'd snapped. She hadn't realized until she finally laid down how tired she was, and eventually she drifted off into a light sleep.

* * *

After Klaus's unsuccessful attempt at using compulsion to counter the curse placed on Kieran, he decided it was time to hunt down the witch responsible and force them to undo the curse. To do this he needed leverage, which was why he grabbed the newly resurrected Monique Deveraux from the Compound where Marcel had conveniently brought her and her aunt to do a locator spell to find the other resurrected witches. He walked down the street, guiding Monique with one hand while he held the Papa Tunde Blade in the other, though he kept it pointed at the girl.

"Witches of the French Quarter," he called out in a loud voice. "I have with me Monique Deveraux. What a shame it would be were I forced to send her back to the death she's just escaped. Should you wish to prevent this, bring me the witch Bastiana."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Marcel came walking out into the middle of the street.

Klaus turned around to face him. "I'm opening negotiations."

"You know my rules," Marcel marched towards Klaus and Monique. "We do not hurt kids."

"Spare me the hypocrisy of your moral code," Klaus pointed the blade at Marcel. "It didn't stop you from killing Monique's mother." He stole a sideways glance at Monique before gazing around at the buildings as he started yelling out to the witches again. "Bastiana! I know you're close. The stench of witches hangs in the air. Mark my words. I will end this girl with the very blade you meant for me."

"I'm not saying it again!" Marcel growled. "We do _not_ kill kids."

The last thing Klaus liked was being told what he could or couldn't do. To prove a point, he sneered at Marcel as he pressed the edge of the blade against Monique's throat, causing her to gasp in surprise. Marcel whooshed up to Klaus and shoved him away from Monique. He grabbed Klaus's blade wielding arm and held it out, twisting his wrist to make Klaus let go the blade. With Klaus now disarmed, Marcel pushed him back a few feet to create some distance, but Klaus whooshed back towards Marcel and gave him a hard shove, sending him flying onto the ground. Marcel vamp-sped back towards Klaus, only to have Klaus grab him in an iron head lock. Klaus slowly twisted Marcel's neck until it finally snapped, sending him down to the ground in a motionless heap.

"I decide who lives and who dies here, Marcellus," Klaus stared down at Marcel's body.

While they'd been fighting, they failed to notice Sophie Deveraux quietly approaching. She stopped next to the spot where the Papa Tunde blade had landed on the ground and picked it up before continuing over to stand next to her niece. When Klaus turned around to face Monique after snapping Marcel's neck, Sophie was right there waiting. With one hard, fluid motion, she slammed the curved blade into Klaus's chest.

"AHH!" He yelled out, staring down at the blade protruding from his chest. He groaned and gasped as the blade slowly disappeared inside him. He fell to his knees and let out a blood curdling scream as he clawed at his chest before falling to the ground, his body going limp as he succumbed to the blade's unending torment.

It was then that the witch Bastiana finally appeared. "I'll take it from here," she murmured to Sophie and Monique as a wicked smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

* * *

Cassandra was surprised to find that the sun had gone down when she awoke from her nap. After a quick pit stop in the bathroom, she headed into the kitchen to find something to eat. She was pleased to find that the cupboards and refrigerator were fully stocked and eagerly pulled out the fixings for a sandwich. A few minutes later she went back into the sitting room carrying a plate and sat down on the couch to eat her sandwich. Between bites, she picked her phone up from the coffee table and dialed Rebekah's number, but the Original Vampire didn't answer. She left a quick message, hung up, then redialed for good measure.

"Huh. That's strange," Cassandra murmured to herself when Rebekah's voicemail came on a second time. "I wonder where she could be."

Shrugging it off for the time being, she tried calling Klaus next. When his phone went to voicemail, instead of leaving a message she hung up and redialed. After getting his voice mail a second time, her stomach dropped.

"Hey," she tried her hardest to keep her voice sounding calm as she left him a message. "Just wondered how things were going with Kieran. Also, have you heard from Rebekah? She disappeared..um, I'm not sure when exactly. I sort of..fell asleep on the couch. Anyway, she's not answering her phone. Neither are you, obviously. It has me a little worried. Please, call me back. I need to know that you're okay, that you both are."

She ended the call with a sigh and decided she better call Elijah. "Please answer," she mumbled as she held the phone back up to her ear.

"Cassandra," Elijah answered the phone after one ring in a breathy voice.

"Oh thank god," Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief. "Rebekah and Klaus aren't answering their phones. I'm worried something's happened. They'd never not answer my calls, or at the very least they'd text me if they couldn't talk."

"Listen to me," he gasped as he stood to his feet. He had been weakened and knocked out by an enchanted kiss he'd received from Celeste and was finally beginning to recover. "You were right. Celeste is back. Niklaus, Rebekah. You're all in danger."

"What?" Cassandra yelped. She'd just placed her now empty plate in the kitchen sink and spun around as Elijah spoke. She started to walk towards the open double doors leading to the backyard when a howling gust of wind pulled the doors shut with a loud slam. She ran over and tugged on the handles, but they wouldn't budge. Instead, a tall flame erupted outside the doors, rendering the exit unusable and causing her to jump back with a surprised gasp. "Elijah, it's a spell. The witches, I think they're trying to trap me inside!"

"I'm on my way!" Elijah growled into the phone before hanging up.

Cassandra nodded and raced from the kitchen through the parlor and over to the front double doors, but they slammed shut and more flames appeared, cutting her off from another possible exit. More flames sprouted in the kitchen. The flames surrounding the front door grew, forcing her to double back into the parlor. The second she crossed the threshold, the doors to the parlor slammed shut.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. They're trying to burn me alive! Me and my baby! I have to get out of here!" She could feel her panic level rising. As she stood next to the baby grand piano, a trail of flames exploded in the parlor and moved along the frame of the room, setting off the fire alarms in the process. It didn't take long for Cassandra to start coughing from inhaling too much smoke. Coughing into her shoulder, she looked around for something, anything to cover her mouth with, when her eyes landed on the top of the piano. It had been covered with a small cloth table runner. She quickly grabbed it and held it against her mouth as she continued to cough. She looked around, watching as the fire continued to grow. Her eyes watered and burned from the smoke and it was getting harder and harder to breath. She knew she didn't have much time left. _Please hurry Elijah! Please!_

Like an answer to a prayer, the glass from one of the nearby windows exploded as Elijah rocked through it at vampire speed. He quickly scooped her up into his arms and sped away from the burning mansion. Once they were far enough from the structure, he gently laid her on down on the brick driveway. He lifted her arms so they were level with her head, giving her lungs more room to expand as her coughing slowly calmed down. Once she was breathing normally again, he released her arms, allowing them to drop back down to her sides.

"Wait here," he told her before disappearing in search of his sister.

Cassandra slowly sat up and stared at the once beautiful colonial mansion as it stood incased in a sea of bright orange and yellow flames. She was saddened at the thought of never being able to wear the outfits Rebekah had picked out for her. "Guess we'll just have to go on another shopping trip, if she ever turns up again."

A few long minutes later, Elijah reappeared holding a black jacket in his hand. "The witches have her," Elijah murmured softly.

"Oh no," Cassandra's eyes widened. "What about Klaus?"

Elijah stared at her, tightening his jaw as he remained silent. She nodded slowly as she swallowed the lump that had begun to form in her throat. He waited another beat, then held out his hand to her. "Come. We need to get back to the compound."

She didn't hesitate to place her hand in his and allow him to pull her up to her feet. Instead of driving Rebekah's car, he vamp-sped back to the compound. As they walked through the entrance tunnel, she could almost feel the anger radiating off of him. Lord help anyone that got in his way.

"Marcel!" Elijah yelled out as they walked into the courtyard and made a beeline to where Marcel and a congregation of his vampire cronies were standing. "Where is my brother?"

"I got guys out looking for him right now," Marcel held his hands out in a settle down position as he spoke calmly. Not the least bit satisfied with this answer, Elijah started grabbing vampires and tossing them against the courtyard walls with ease.

"Elijah!" Cassandra called out in an attempt to settle him down. He glanced over at her, letting out a breath, then turned back towards Marcel.

"Klaus threw one of his classic temper tantrums, snapped my neck, tried to take on a coven of witches by himself. He got dropped," Marcel explained as Elijah and Cassandra stared at him in shock. "I don't know where he is or how to find him."

"They also have Rebekah," Elijah murmured in a low voice. The surprise in Marcel's eyes confirmed this was news to him. Turning to address the rest of the vampires in the courtyard, Elijah began to speak in a loud, authoritative voice. "Every last one of you will help me find them. I'm going to kill them all."

Numb from what Marcel had just told them about Klaus, Cassandra slowly made her way up the stairs to the second floor to her and Klaus's shared bedroom. She came to a stop in front of the easel he had set up near the bedroom window and stared at the canvas he'd began to paint. It felt like a bad dream she couldn't wake up from, knowing he was out there somewhere, suffering in untold ways at the hands of witches. She wasn't sure how long she stood there staring at the painted colors on the canvas as her grief and worry festered within her. Eventually it became too much for her to keep bottled up inside. With a loud yell, she picked up the jar of paint brushes Klaus had left in front of the canvas and threw it against the wall before collapsing onto the ground in a heap of sobs. The next thing she knew, Elijah was holding her against his chest, rubbing her back in slow, circular movements as he consoled her.

"I promise you, we will find them," he whispered, doing his best to sound reassuring.

"I-I told him to be c-careful," she stammered between sobs. "That the w-witches would try again to take..take him down. I…I can't….I need…."

"Ssssh," Elijah whispered soothingly. "Everything's going to be fine, Cassandra. We will find him and kill the witches responsible. For now, you need to be strong. For Rebekah. And for Niklaus."

She nodded her head slowly and took a deep breath, followed by another, and another, until her sobs finally subsided. Elijah reached into his outer jacket pocket for his handkerchief and handed it to her. She murmured a weak thank you as she took it and used it to wipe her eyes.

"Well," Elijah let out a soft sigh and began to help Cassandra back onto her feet. "It's been an  
exceedingly long and trying day. You should get some rest."

Cassandra blinked and stared at Elijah like he'd sprouted a second head. "You seriously think I'm going to get any sleep tonight knowing Klaus is out there somewhere, suffering at the hands of the witches? We should be out there searching for him, Elijah. I _know_ he would move hell and earth to find me if I were the one missing."

"Yes, I'm certain he would, as would I. You, however, do not have the same physical means and abilities that we do. Believe me, Cassandra, I want to find him and Rebekah just as much as you do, and I give you my word that I will. Marcel is recruiting his day and nightwalkers as we speak to continue the search throughout the night. You need to focus on taking care of yourself and the baby," he paused and reached out for her hands, taking hold of them in his own as she pressed her lips together and shook her head back and forth. "You must try, Cassandra. Try to get some sleep. It's what Niklaus would want you to do."

"I can't," she whispered.

"I could always _make_ you," he countered with raised eyebrows.

"Make me?" Cassandra stared at him, confused. He kept a straight face as he eyed her, waiting for her to figure out what he meant. It only took her a few extra seconds to realize what he was getting at. When she did figure it out, her eyes widened in surprise. "You would really do that to me?"

"If it were deemed absolutely necessary, then yes. I would," Elijah answered in light, calm voice.

Cassandra's hand instinctively went up to her chest. She let out a huge sigh of relief when she felt the cool heart pendant filled with vervain resting right where it was supposed to be. Rather than continuing to protest and give Elijah the chance to follow through on his word, she handed back his handkerchief and stalked over to the side of the bed where her pajamas were. She could feel his eyes on her as she disappeared into the bathroom to change and brush her teeth. He was still standing in the same place when she reemerged and walked back over to the bed. She refused to look at him as she pulled the covers back and climbed in. She rolled onto her side, putting her back to him, as she got situated and tucked the covers back around her. He turned off the light and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Once he was gone, she stared at Klaus's empty side of the bed in the dark and felt a new wave of tears sting her eyes. Burying her face in her pillow, she began to cry again, gripping her pillow as she did her best to muffle the sound of her sobs as best she could. She hadn't been crying for more than a few minutes when she felt a gentle hand rubbing her back in a soothing manner. She turned her head and found Elijah sitting beside her. She rolled over and scooted into his awaiting arms, burying her face against his chest. He continued to rub her back while she cried softly until she finally fell asleep. He gazed down at her sleeping form, listening to both her and her baby's steadily beating heartbeats. He tilted his head forward and brushed his lips gently against her hair before letting out a soft sigh. Knowing he wasn't going anywhere for the remainder of the night, he closed his eyes and allowed his body to relax until he, too, drifted off to sleep.


	13. Brother, Where Art Thou

**You guys are absolutely fantastic! You continue to blow me away with all of the wonderfully incredible words you have to say in your reviews and I am beyond grateful and thankful for them. I can honestly say I did not expect or anticipate so many people taking to Elijah/Cassandra. This chapter is chalk full of more moments between them, but you'll have to read on to see if they're good moments or..not so good. We pick up right where chapter twelve left off, so with that said, I'll leave you guys to it. Happy reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 13 - Brother, Where Art Thou**

Cassandra began to stir the following morning as the sun peeked through the closed curtains. Without opening her eyes, she rolled over and snuggled closer to the warm body lying beside her, draping her arm on top of the torso her body was now curled up against. The faint scent of a spicy cologne tickled her nose. _Mmm, that was nice. Wait a minute. Klaus doesn't wear anything that smells like that!_ She forced herself to open her eyes and blinked in surprise as Elijah's sleeping face came into focus. She sat up and stared at him, blinking again as she struggled to figure out why he was lying next to her in Klaus's bed. Then it all came rushing back to her.

Her movement was enough to wake Elijah, who blinked his eyes open. "Good Morning," he yawned.

"Morning," she mumbled back. Unsure of what else to say she climbed out of the bed and shuffled into the bathroom. When she came out a couple of minutes later, she found Elijah sitting on the edge of the bed reading something on his phone. "Any update on the whereabouts of Klaus and Rebekah?"

"Not yet," Elijah glanced up at her. "I believe it's time I paid the witches a little visit."

"Oh. Okay," she tried not to let too much disappointment show in her voice. She thought momentarily about asking if she could go with him, but she knew he'd say no because it was too dangerous, so she didn't bring it up. Instead she walked over to the closet to pick out something to wear. When she turned around a minute later holding clothes in her arms, Elijah was gone. She quickly got dressed and slipped her phone into her jeans pocket before heading downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat.

While she didn't feel hungry, she knew it was important she make herself eat for the sake of her unborn baby. It was with that in mind that pushed her eat a piece of toast with butter and jam, along with a banana. As she ate, she brewed herself her allotted one cup of coffee. When she was done, she carried her cup into the lounge. She browsed the shelves until she found a book to read and carefully pulled it out. She made herself comfortable in one of the chairs and immersed herself in the pages while she sipped her coffee.

She had no idea how long she'd been reading when the sound of Elijah's voice calling out her name drew her attention. She slammed her book shut and tossed on the small table next to her empty coffee cup as she jumped to her feet and ran down the hall in the direction his voice had come from.

"Elijah, you're back," Cassandra let out a relieved breath as she walked into his large study. "Did you find any—" she stopped, her eyes landing on a shirtless Elijah as he finished pulling his arms out of his sleeves. It was the first time she'd seen him without a shirt, and she couldn't stop herself from staring at his perfectly toned chest and arms which were obscured by the names scattered across his skin in fancy lettering. "t-thing? What is happening?"

"I need you to make a list of these names," he told her calmly as she walked up to him. "Please."

"Okay," she murmured. He stood completely still while she walked around him in a circle, reading the different names written on his skin. She didn't recognize any of them until she came to a name on his forearm. "Sabine. Elijah, what is this?"

"I believe they represent the names of women Celeste inhabited for the past two centuries," he answered.

"It's called a deviniette," Marcel approached them and handed a pen and notepad to Cassandra. "It's old school. Kind of a riddle. Witches use them to teach their kids. Solve it and it disappears."

"Why? What's the point?" Cassandra asked, glancing from Marcel to Elijah.

"Celeste forced me to make a choice between yourself and my siblings, and now she means to mock that choice, taunting me with a childish game," the annoyance Elijah felt was evident in his harsh pronunciation of each word he spoke. "The longer the game, the more they suffer. To find Niklaus and Rebekah, we need to solve this riddle. The solution lies somewhere in these names."

Marcel pointed at Elijah's arm. "The name next to Sabine, Annie LaFleur, she's a witch that was shunned by her coven just over a year ago. Never knew why, but I can find out."

Cassandra quickly scribbled down all of the names so Elijah could put his shirt back on and leave with Marcel. While he dressed, he quickly told her about Sophie's passing.

"I suspect her niece had something to do with her death," he murmured as he retied his tie and put on his jacket.

"Well, at least she's reunited with her sister," was all Cassandra had to say.

After he left, she took the notepad with her back into the lounge and sat down to study the list of names. The last thing she felt like working on was a puzzle, but knowing it would lead her to Klaus gave her all the determination she needed to work on it.

* * *

Klaus lay restrained by his wrists to an old metal gurney in the rubble ruins of a rundown, abandoned sanitarium. A witch with red hair walked towards the gurney with footsteps that echoed through the room. Her name was Genevieve, and she was one of the witches Celeste had resurrected using the power from the Harvest Ritual. When she reached Klaus, she reached out and checked to make sure his restraints were secure as she stared down at him. His shirt had been removed and a bright red line was visible along his chest where the Papa Tunde blade had disappeared inside of him. Sensing her presence, he slowly cracked his eyes open and turned his head towards her. He was unable to move the rest of his body. Starting just above his navel, Genevieve delicately traced the red scar along his chest.

"You poor thing," she murmured softly. Turning away, she stepped over to a small table where she'd placed a scalpel and picked it up before turning back to him. "Don't worry. I'm here to help."

She placed the tip of the scalpel at the top of the red line and made an incision in his chest, along the length of visible scar. Klaus let out a loud gasp and then let out a bloodcurdling scream as Genevieve stuck her hand inside of him to get to the blade. He lurched and struggled against the restraints, continuing to yell as she pulled her hand back out clutching the curved blade in her now bloody hand. His screams softened and turned into angry growls as he glared at her. She cleaned up her hands and the blade before setting it aside. She grabbed a spool of gauze and returned to Klaus and wrapped up his torso where the incision was. Unhooking one restraint at a time, she helped him with putting on his long sleeve black shirt, then refastened them around his wrists. She was careful as she pulled the shirt down over the blood soaked gauze covering his chest.

"My wound isn't healing," he spoke in a low voice as he shifted his eyes towards her after she'd raised the gurney so he was sitting up more.

"The amount of dark magic contained in that blade? It's gonna take a little while," Genevieve told him in a soothing voice.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" Klaus tightened his jaw. "The witches back from the dead, seeking vengeance. Why show me kindness?"

Genevieve reached out and gently stroked the side of his face. "You never did anything to me. And the truth is, seeing you like this, I can't help but pity you."

"Then betray the others and stand with me," Klaus looked her straight in the eyes. "I will reward you in ways you cannot possibly fathom."

"Klaus Mikaelson offering a deal to little ol' me?" Genevieve smiled at him and leaned closer to his face as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I should be flattered, but first, we need to have a talk about your sister."

She dropped her hand and turned away from him as he continued to speak. "Rebekah is of no concern to you. If you mean to harm her—"

"Ah, the protective brother. A shame that loyalty isn't reciprocated. But then, I'm no stranger to Rebekah's treachery. Something you and I have in common." she walked over to a nearby tray and picked up a bowl containing an herbal mixture she'd made earlier containing her and Rebekah's blood. She turned around and brought the bowl over to him. "Here. Drink."

He eyed her skeptically as she started to bring the bowl up to his mouth. "I'm just trying to help you. Heal you. Get you to see the truth that's been right in front of you for almost a century."

He stared at her for a long moment before leaning forward and pressing his mouth around the edge of the bowl to drink. Genevieve rubbed the back of his neck with her free hand as she tilted the bowl up slightly at an angle while he swallowed a few huge gulps. He leaned back and started to lick his lips when he began to choke. Genevieve clamped her free hand over his mouth to keep him from upchucking. "Your sister had an unfortunate run-in with some wolves last night. I imagine you're tasting the venom in her blood. It's the only way I can show you what you need to see."

She removed her hand when she was sure he wasn't going to puke anymore and set the bowl back down on the tray. "In her weakened state, I'll be able to guide her down memory lane. That's how I'm going to have my revenge," she explained as Klaus gasped and shuddered from the venom he'd ingested. "By showing you her betrayal."

She placed her hand on his forehead and magically linked their minds together. He found himself standing in another hallway, watching as Rebekah stumbled to a stop when her eyes landed on him.

"Niklaus," Rebekah called out, running towards him. He saw what she saw as she glanced into every room she passed by—dying patients from a time when Rebekah had been a nurse during an Influenza outbreak in 1919. The hallucination shifted backwards in time as she ran through a doorway and found herself transported back to 1919 during a heated moment with Marcel. Once the hallucination ended, Klaus found himself back in the room with the witch.

"So, this is your great betrayal," he raised his eyebrows, amused. With his strength finally returning, he was more himself again. "My sister and Marcel. They've been sneaking around behind my back for the better part of two centuries."

"Yes, against all your warnings," Genevieve sighed as she walked around the gurney and came to a stop behind him. "You'd disciplined them for it before, had you not?" She brought her lips down to his ear and whispered, "Harshly, I understand."

"I had my reasons," he answered in a low voice.

"Oh, you don't have to convince me," she continued to whisper in his ear, then leaned back and spoke in a normal tone of voice. "As far as I'm concerned, you only needed one: that it suited you."

She walked back around so she was standing in front of him again. "Have you ever read the Old Testament, Nik? You see," she placed her fingertips against his knee and began slowly glide them up his leg to his thigh. His eyes shifted down, watching her movement." God wasn't powerful because he was right, He was right because He was powerful."

Klaus shook his head, raising his eyebrows slightly. "I don't know what you're playing at, but if the sum total of your plan to turn me against my sister was this revelation, this will have been a wholly ineffective endeavor."

"You poor thing," Genevieve shook her head as she recoiled her hand. "After a thousand years, dishonesty from your family has come to be expected. I wish that was the sum total of their treachery. Unfortunately, it's not."

Klaus tightened his jaw as he narrowed his eyes at her, wondering what else his dear little sister and her lover, Marcel, could have done to betray him. He'd soon learn it was the one thing in the entire world that he would never forgive them for.

* * *

"She killed herself?" Cassandra murmured over the phone to Elijah as she paced around the second floor of the compound, rubbing her baby bump as she held the phone against her ear. Elijah had called her after he and Marcel discovered what had happened to Annie La Fleur, one of the witch bodies Celeste had taken over.

"Yes. Drowned herself in the Mississippi to be precise," Elijah answered as he walked down a street in the Quarter. "Celeste had clearly tired of the body and was ready to take Sabine's."

"How do you know that?" She asked, making her way downstairs to the courtyard.

"She leapt from the very location Celeste and I had our first kiss."

"Oh. Poetic I guess, in a creepy vendetta kind of way."

"All these names, these lives, stolen that Celeste might take her revenge. I suppose we have no choice but to see where they take us," he sighed. "Cassandra, I have to go. I'll call you back."

"Elijah, wait," Cassandra stopped him from hanging up.

"What is it?" He spoke in a softer voice as he slowed his walking until he came to a complete stop.

Cassandra took a seat in one of the chairs scattered in the courtyard as she went on to explain her request. "Could you ask Marcel about a name on that list for me? Brynne Deveraux. Sophie said that it was her family's bloodline that put the curse on the crescent wolves, but if Brynne was actually Celeste when the spell was cast, than Celeste would be the one who can still break it. Not a Deveraux witch like we were originally led to believe."

"I'll see what he knows," Elijah agreed to talk to Marcel.

"Elijah," Cassandra took a deep breath. There was something else she wanted to talk to him about. "I'm so sorry you're going through all of this. I'm still a little stunned that you chose to save me over your siblings, but I know it's what Klaus would have wanted. I just…I hate that you were put in that position in the first place, and I wanted you to know how grateful I am."

"You were going to die in that fire, Cassandra, along with my brother's child. You are the best thing that has ever happened to him and to this family. There was no choice," he told her, hanging up as soon as he was finished.

Cassandra lowered her phone, staring at the screen as his words sunk in. To say that she was incredibly touched was a huge understatement. She was certain she would never forget it.

Once she was able to refocus her mind, she jumped to her feet and scurried upstairs to her and Klaus's room to retrieve her laptop. Clutching the case by the shoulder strap, she went into the Parlor Room and sat down at a small desk placed next to the bar at the other end of the room. She quickly pulled her laptop out of the case and placed it on the desk before turning it on and absentmindedly tapped her fingers against the desk's wooden surface while she waited for it to boot up.

"Finally," she let out a soft breath once her home screen finished loading. She opened her web browser and went to work researching the names of Celeste's former bodies to see what she could find out about them. A little while later her phone beeped, alerting her to a new message from Elijah. _We figured out the answer to Celeste's riddle. Clara Summerlin. We're on our way back to the compound. See what you can find out about her. We'll help when we get there._ She quickly typed a response, _On it!,_ and placed her phone on the table.

She quickly realized looking for someone that was alive long before the internet was a twinkle in anyone's mind was like searching for a needle in a haystack. After a bunch of dead ends, she finally found an old photo. It wasn't much to go on, but it was better than nothing. She started to reach for her phone to let Elijah know when he walking into the room and briskly walked over to her.

"Hey," she glanced up at him. "I was just about to call you. I found—"

He tapped her shoulder, cutting her off, and brought a finger up to his lips as leaned down as he began to speak in a hushed voice. "You were right about the Deveraux witch."

"Find anything about Clara the mystery witch?" Marcel walked up them before Cassandra could say anything else to Elijah.

"Not much. She was a nurse at the Fleur De Lis Sanatorium," Cassandra sighed softly. She made the picture on her screen bigger and turned it so they could see as she pointed at one of the women in it. "Recognize her? Top row, second from the right."

Elijah stared at it for a moment, then frowned. "No. I don't. Marce—" he looked up, pausing abruptly as his eyes landed on Marcel who had turned his back and started to walk away from the desk. "Marcel?" Marcel turned around to face him, biting his lip. Realizing he knew something, Elijah walked around the desk over to him. "Do I need to remind you that Niklaus and Rebekah are somewhere suffering horribly? If you know something, talk."

"The sanitarium," Marcel answered in a low voice as he paced back over to the desk.. "That's where you'll find them."

"You're sure?" Cassandra stared at him, afraid to get her hopes up. "How do you know?"

Marcel slowly turned back around to face Elijah, barely meeting his eyes. "I just know."

"How do you know?" Elijah demanded an answer. Marcel stared silently at Elijah for a long couple of seconds as he came to terms with what he was about to admit to.

Taking a nervous breath, he began to speak in a low voice. "If I'm right, you need to know exactly what we're walking into. We did something, Rebekah and I."

"Oh no," Cassandra mumbled softly. Her eyes landed on Elijah as he blinked in surprise folded his arms across his chest.

"I think the witches are trying to use it against her," Marcel continued to explain, his voice growing increasingly shaky and nervous. "It's..uh..something that you're not gonna like."

Cassandra felt her heart drop as Marcel told them about how he and Rebekah had summoned Mikael back in 1919 to scare Klaus into leaving town so they could finally be free to be together. She remembered what she'd been told about how Klaus and his siblings had been found by their father and were forced to flee their beloved city as it burned down. To now know that both Rebekah and Marcel had been behind it, no matter what their motives and intentions were, was a devastating surprise.

"For the better part of a century I have wondered how father found us, what foolish mistake that we had made to destroy our time in the one place that we could finally call home," Elijah glared at Marcel. "Did you know I even blamed myself for a time, Marcellus?"

Cassandra blinked and the next thing she knew, Elijah gripped Marcel by the throat and had him pressed up against the wall. "Elijah!" She gasped as she jumped up from her chair and jogged over to where he was.

"Niklaus treated you like a son," Elijah growled softly as he tightened his grip on Marcel's throat. "Rebekah—"

"I loved her," Marcel hissed back. "I still love her. All we ever wanted was to be together, but as long as Klaus was around, that was never gonna happen. But hey, I guess you wouldn't know anything about that, huh?"

Cassandra didn't know what Marcel meant with the last few words he'd said, but she was too focused on calming Elijah down to think about it. "Elijah," she called out again in a calmer voice.

Her voice appeared to reach him this time. Reluctantly, he released Marcel from his stone grasp and stared at him with cold eyes. "When Niklaus learns the truth there will be no end to his rage. I will _not_ let my sister suffer that wrath."

Marcel adjusted his hoodie and took a few steps past Elijah before turning back to him. "Then we need to get to them before he learns the truth."

Nodding, Elijah motioned for him to lead the way and followed behind him.

Cassandra grabbed her phone from the desk and hurried after them. "I'm coming with you." Elijah stopped in mid-step and spun around to face her. He started to open his mouth to protest, but she cut him off before he could speak. "You need me and you know it. I don't care if it's dangerous. If _anyone_ is going to be able to talk him down _when_ he finds out, and we all know he will, it's going to be _me._ "

Elijah tighed his jaw, the desire to disagree clearly evident in his eyes, but he knew she was right. "Very well. Come, we've no time to waste."

They made their way outside and climbed into Elijah's black sedan. Cassandra climbed into the back seat while Marcel took the front with Elijah. Once they were driving, she pulled out her phone and typed out a message to Hayley. _Hey. So I found out who placed the curse on your pack. Her name is Celeste. She's been taking over different bodies for the last 100 years. She currently resides in the body of a local witch named Sabine. Meet me at the Fleur De Lis Sanatorium. I'm certain she'll be there if you want to..er...have a chat with her._

She smiled as a rush of satisfaction flowed through her when she hit send. She knew convincing Celeste to undo the curse on the Crescent Wolves was not going to be easy, but she had a strong feeling Hayley would not rest until Celeste agreed to do it.

Her phone buzzed a few minutes later with a reply from Hayley. _Cassandra you rock! I owe you for this big time! Eve and I are on our way._

Cassandra's fingers raced frantically across the screen, punching in another message in return. _Stay out of sight. Marcel and Elijah will be there too, searching for Klaus and Rebekah. You do not want to run into them right now!_

 _Got it!_ Hayley replied less than thirty seconds later.

Sighing in relief, Cassandra slipped her phone back into her pocket and stared out the window at the night sky as she rested her hands on top of her stomach. The car ride seemed to go on and on as the minutes crawled by. When they finally arrived at the abandoned sanitarium, she'd barely gotten her seatbelt off when Elijah turned and leaned his head around to glance at her.

"Stay here. I'll alert you if you are needed," he ordered.

"Hey, that's not—" she frowned, sighing as he and Marcel got out and shut the doors behind him before she could fully protest. She shook her head, irritated that she'd been sidelined again. "This is _not_ how this was supposed to go. Damn it!"

She stared out at the entrance, debating on whether or not to listen to Elijah or take matters into her own hands, when a tap on the window behind her nearly made her jump out of her skin. She spun her head around and found Hayley standing there with another blonde woman. She scrambled out of the car and quickly made her way around to the other side to greet them.

"You made it," Cassandra whispered. "Good."

"Where's this witch?" Hayley wanted to know.

Cassandra looked towards the entrance as one of the doors opened and Sabine, the body Celeste was currently inhabiting, walked out. Cassandra silently pointed at her. Hayley nodded and crept over to the base of the stairs, staying out of sight. Cassandra watched as she grabbed a large shovel that was laying nearby and waited until Celeste had fully descended the stairs before swinging the shovel as hard as she could at the back of her head, successfully knocking her out.

"Hey there, witch bitch." Hayley muttered as she stared down at her. "You and I are gonna have a little chat."

Cassandra jogged over to them with Eve. "Nice swing."

"Thanks. We got it from here," Hayley flashed Cassandra a grateful smile.

"Taking her back to the Bayou?"

"Yep. We want to talk on our turf, not hers."

Cassandra nodded. "Makes sense. Let me know if there is anything else I can do. Elijah's going to be looking for her once he's done dealing with Klaus. I'll try to buy you as much time as I can."

"I will. And thank's again, Cassandra. Once we get her to break the curse, there are going to be a lot of Crescent wolves who'll want to thank you in person."

"I'm looking forward to it. Now go, before Elijah or Marcel come back out," Cassandra shooed them away. Hayley nodded and motioned for Eve to help her pick up Celeste's body.

Once they were gone, she turned her head and stared at the entrance to the sanitarium. "Screw it, I'm going in," she decided and jogged up the stairs and pulled the doors open. Once she was inside she realized she had no idea where to go. There were dozens of hallways to go down. She started to walk straight when a loud crash coming from the hallway on her left drew her attention. She turned and darted down it, glancing through each open doorway as she passed by. She rounded a corner and came to a section that split off in two directions. Not knowing which way to go, she strained her ears, listening for more sounds of a struggle. She heard them coming from the right and took off in that direction. As she grew closer, the sound of Klaus's voice became more apparent.

"Nik, it was my idea to summon Mikael," she heard Rebekah's pleading voice. "If you're gonna hurt anyone, it should be me."

"No!" Cassandra whispered and sprinted as fast as she could to the end of the hall where Rebekah's voice was coming from. She skidded to a stop after passing through the doorway as her eyes landed on Klaus who was towering over Rebekah with the Papa Tunde blade in his raised hand.

"Klaus!" She yelled as he was about to thrust it into her. He froze, turning to stare at her in surprise. Out of nowhere, Elijah appeared and used the momentary distraction to redirect the blade Klaus held into his chest. "NO!"

She watched, horrified as Klaus yelled out in agony and stared up at Elijah looking completely appalled.

"Go," Elijah turned his head to look at Rebekah and Marcel. Not needing to be told twice, Marcel picked himself up off the ground and helped Rebekah onto her feet. "Both of you, run as far and as fast as you can. Run!"

Cassandra watched them leave before moving over to Elijah who was carefully lowering Klaus's body down to the ground. "You...you...how could you..." She stammered.

"He was going to inflict the same torment and torture on Rebekah. I could not let that happen," Elijah glanced up at her. "I instructed you to stay in the car."

"You did," was all she had to say on the matter. "I was tired of waiting."

Elijah exhaled slowly, nodding as he stood and hoisted Klaus's body over his shoulder. "Come. Once we get back to the compound, I shall remove the blade."

"You better," Cassandra grumbled as she walked alongside him. When they got outside, she ran ahead to the car and opened one of the back doors for Elijah. As he carefully laid Klaus's body down on the seat, she ran around to the other side of the car and climbed into the back. She slipped on her seatbelt and slowly guided Klaus's shoulders down until his head was resting in her lap.

Gazing down at him, she brought her hand up to his cheek, stroking it as she murmured softly to him. "Hey there." He opened his eyes and stared up at her, completely helpless and unable to move. "I've been so worried about you," she reached for his hand and held it against the side of her face.

She continued talking softly to him and stroking his face with her free hand, not caring that Elijah could hear every word she was saying. "Hang in there, okay? It won't be much longer. The last twenty four hours have been crazy huh? The witches are really wreaking havoc on us. First they tried to burn me alive in the plantation house. Obviously they failed. You can thank Elijah for that. He saved me. Then they went after you and Rebekah. But you're safe now, and once we that blade out of you, you'll be as good as new."

He stared at her with eyes she couldn't read, mostly due to the indescribable pain and torment the blade was inflicting on him. Still, she had to believe if he could speak, he'd at least be just as relieved to be with her as she was with him. Sighing softly, she leaned her head down and brushed her lips lightly against his. When she pulled away, she met his eyes for a lingering moment before he closed them. She continued to hold his hand in both of hers as she gazed out of the window, counting down the minutes until they would arrive back at the compound and free Klaus from his internal prison. After that, she'd have to find a way to convince him not to hunt down Rebekah. If she couldn't get him to forgive her, or at the very least leave her alone, Rebekah was as good as dead. Cassandra had truly grown to care about her like a sister and was more determined than ever to fight for her, even if it meant having to stand against Klaus. _Lord help us all if I can't get through to him._


	14. Calming the Raging Mad Hybrid

**So I saw that at least one of you (though I bet there are lots more of you out there who agree with this) wanted more Klaus/Cassandra and I am happy to say this chapter is about 95% Klaus/Cassandra goodness, so you won't be disappointed in the least. There's actually plenty more of the two of them in upcoming chapters too, but there's also more Cassandra/Elijah too. I think you all will be surprised about the direction this chapter takes at the end because it's different than what happened to Hayley. But that's what I've had so much fun doing with this story...figuring out what the best path for Cassandra. Anyway, thank you so much for the support. You guys are truly the best. I can't believe I'm a little over halfway done with season one. Wow time flies when you're having a blast. Enjoy and happy reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14 - Calming the Raging Mad Hybrid**

It pained Cassandra to watch Klaus lying in his bed, twitching and gasping in pain from the blade embedded inside his chest. She glanced around, wondering where Elijah was. After they had arrived back at the compound, she'd assisted him with removing Klaus's shirt and getting him into bed, but now he seemed to have vanished.

"Five more minutes. I'm done waiting after that. I'll get the blade out myself," she murmured, reaching out to stroke Klaus's scruff covered cheek.

"That won't be necessary," Elijah appeared, right on cue, concealing something in his hand. "I can assure you, I will remove it, but I need you to do something first."

"And what's that?" Cassandra eyed him warily, folding her arms across her chest. He opened his hand to reveal a syringe, causing her eyes to widen slightly. "What's that for?"

"You, hopefully. Once I remove the dagger, Niklaus will be weak. He'll need to feed. That's where you come in. By injecting this vervain into your bloodstream, he'll be able feed on you. It will burn him, and he'll ingest it slower, which also makes his recovery take longer. Perhaps you'll be able to use that time to convince him not to murder his baby sister. You are the only one that he'll want to be around right now, the only one he'll listen to." Elijah explained his plan.

"Is it safe for the baby? Because she's a quarter vampire, and I know what vervain does to your species. If it's going to hurt her..." Cassandra trailed off, placing her empty hand on her stomach.

Elijah's face softened. "I wouldn't ask if I thought, even for a second, that it would harm your baby." He paused, taking a moment to think. "Your friend Camille, she's on vervain is she not? I can ask her to come over if you don't want to—"

"No!" Cassandra snapped sharply. "I do not want to involve her in this. She has enough to deal with right now. I'll do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Like you said, I'm the only one he'll be able to stand being around right now."

Taking a deep breath, she peeled her sweater off and tossed on the bed, then turned back to Elijah and held out her arm. He gently gripped her forearm with his free hand and pressed his thumb along the area directly below her elbow crease, searching for the proper vein. When he found it and lowered his hand containing the syringe to her arm, she looked away. She pinched her eyes shut, wincing from the pinch of the needle piercing her skin. A few seconds later it was over.

"That will do," Elijah murmured softly, holding his thumb against the injection site for a few seconds. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine," Cassandra answered.

"Good. If there were to be any affects, they'd be almost instantaneous, so the absence of them is a very good sign." He let go of her arm left the room to dispose of the used syringe. When he returned less than a minute later, he was carrying a medium sized bowl of water covered with a hand towel and a scalpel. He set everything down on the end table next to the bed and removed his jacket, draping it over the back of a nearby chair. He quickly rolled up his sleeves and moved to stand by the bed where Klaus was lying. He picked up the towel covered bowl of water and moved it to the other side of where he stood with one hand while picking up the scalpel with the other. "You might want to take a step back."

Cassandra nodded and shuffled over to the foot of the bed. Her eyes widened as she watched Elijah press the scalpel into Klaus's chest and dragged it along the bright red scar the blade had left, causing Klaus to let out a raspy breath. She could not stop herself from gasping when Elijah thrust his bare hand inside Klaus's chest and felt around for the hilt of the dagger. He pulled his hand out a few seconds later, releasing Klaus from its torture. Klaus let out a loud sigh and slowly blinked his eyes open. Elijah set the bloody dagger on top of the bowl and dipped his hands in the water to clean them off. He used the towel to dry them and then moved them over to the dresser where they were out of the way. He went back over to the bed and leaned down over his brother.

"Niklaus," he whispered. "It was not my desire to bring you pain, but I will not see you hurt Rebekah. Now, I fear Sabine may be making a final move against us. I intend to find her and to end this."

He started turn away when Klaus turned his head and called out in a raspy whisper. "Elijah." Elijah slowly turned back and leaned down toward his brother again. "You will pay for this," Klaus growled in a soft voice.

Cassandra watched as Elijah pressed his lips together and turned to leave. She knew she should tell him about Sabine/Celeste's whereabouts, but she remained silent. She wanted Hayley to have as much time as she possibly could to get the witch to agree to break the curse on the Crescent Wolves. She was certain Elijah planned to kill Celeste, and if he did so before she could undo the curse, the wolves would be stuck forever. Shaking those thoughts away, she hurried over to the side of the bed and sat down beside Klaus.

"Cassandra," he croaked, raising his hand to cup her cheek.

"Hey you," she murmured, smiling at him. She turned her head slightly and brushed her lips against the palm of his hand. She took a deep breath and held her right arm out to him. "I know it's not what you'd prefer, but you need to drink so you'll begin to heal."

He nodded and gingerly took hold of her arm as he lifted his head and pressed his mouth against her wrist, piercing her skin with his fangs. She winced from the pinch and lurched forward as he drank hungrily.

"Elijah said the vervain would burn," she relayed what she'd been told.

Klaus let out a loud gasp as he pulled his head back and released her wrist. He swallowed what was left in mouth and licked his lips clean. "It does, but the line between what brings us pain and what sustains us is far thinner than one imagines."

"You talking about my blood or your need to hunt down your sister?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows as wiped the residual drops of blood from her wrist after the puncture marks had healed. "Marcel told Elijah and me about what he and Rebekah did in 1919."

"So you understand then, why they must die?"

"Understand why you feel the need to kill them? Absolutely. Doesn't mean I agree with you on the matter, but then I care about Rebekah like she was my own sister and don't want her to die by anyone's hands."

"It's not up for discussion, love," Klaus spoke in a low voice. He slowly sat up and scooted to the opposite edge of the bed. As he moved his legs over the side of the mattress he turned his head. "Did Marcellus or Rebekah mention that I had given them my blessing to finally be together mere hours before Mikael showed up?"

"What?" Cassandra gasped.

"Yes," Klaus hummed as he leaned forward towards his dresser a couple of feet away and dug out a dark brown cotton button up shirt to put on. "We had finally found a home here, so I no longer felt the need to protect my beloved baby sister from a broken heart. I let my guard down and given into happiness, more fool, I."

"Well," Cassandra sighed as Klaus put on the shirt and fastened the buttons before laying back down. "I guess it's a good thing Marcel and Rebekah are long gone. They could be anywhere in the world by now."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," Klaus eyed her as a wicked grin tugged at the corners of his lips. He went onto explain the logic behind his remark. "There's only one way they'd truly be able to hide from me for all time. They'll need a cloaking spell, and for that, they'll need a witch."

"Davina," Cassandra realized.

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "To get her back, they'll need to kill the witches that came back after the Harvest. They don't know the right witch to kill to bring her back, so they'll have to kill them all. There's only one place they can go—home."

"Ugh. Why do you have to be right?" She groaned, shaking her head. Klaus let out a weak chuckle as he sat up and inched over to the foot of the bed. Using the post of the bed frame for support he tried to stand up, but he could barely support his own weight. She quickly caught him before he fell and guided him back down onto the bed. "You're still weak."

"I'm still hungry," he whispered. "There's a fresh blood supply in the kitchen."

"Nope," Cassandra shook her head. She quickly sat down on his lap, straddling him, and rested her hands on his shoulders. "Mmmm, I like this, overpowering _you_ for a change."

"Don't get used to it, love," he rolled his eyes. "I can assure you it's temporary. Once I get some fresh blood in me I'll be as good as new and back to being the stronger one again."

"Well, I better enjoy this while I can," she smiled at him. She offered up her wrist to him again. "Here, drink some more."

He didn't need to be told twice and obediently placed his mouth against her skin. She didn't wince this time as his fang sang into her flesh. He drank for a few long moments before pulling away and releasing her arm. Reluctantly, she moved off of his lap, allowing him the chance to stand.

"Has anyone told you the details of the night my father tried to kill me and forced us to flee the beautiful home we'd made?" Klaus eyed her curiously.

"No."

"Well, allow me to regale you with this gruesome tale," he motioned for her to walk with him as he began to shuffle slowly towards the door. "On that particular night, we'd received a gift of tickets to the evenings opera from our newly formed werewolf allies. _Le Huguenots._ Do you know it?"

"No. I'm not familiar with that one," she shook her head as she walked beside him.

"I have always had a particular soft spot for _Le Huguenots._ I like the story. It was a tale of forbidden love, a 'Romeo and Juliet' of sorts. On the day they are to marry, family and long-festering hatred intervene. Thousands are massacred. A father even kills his own child in the final act. I can almost appreciate the irony."

"Wow. It sounds tragically beautiful, just like Romeo and Juliet."

"Correct."

"Okay. So, you attended the Opera. What happened next?" She stopped just inside the doorway to the Parlor Room, watching as he continued to make his way across to a table next to the far window where a small circular tray with crystal glasses and a liquor decanter had been set.

"Not sure that helps," she called out as she leaned against the door frame while he poured some of the golden brown liquor into a glass.

He set the decanter back down and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Not sure it doesn't," he muttered and turned back to pick up the glass of bourbon.

"Well," she sighed, making her way over to him. "I guess that's better than my vervain-laced blood, no matter what Elijah says."

Klaus turned toward her with the glass in his hand and pointed a finger at her. "Don't speak to me of Elijah," he growled softly.

"Oh, come on. Don't be mad at him," Cassandra tilted her head slightly. "He loves you. And Rebekah."

"Yes. He does, and he proves it time and again, even when my father enlisted him to kill me."

"Wait, what?"

"Ah," his lips slowly curled into a smile. "Big brother failed to mention that little detail didn't he?"

He went on to tell her about how their father had approached Elijah when he was getting ready for the Opera later that day in 1919. According to Elijah, Mikael only wanted to kill Klaus, calling him an abomination, and the only way to deal with abominations was to kill them. Her heart broke for Klaus, knowing what his father truly thought of him. She wanted nothing more than to rush over to him and wrap her arms around him in a comforting embrace, but she didn't move from where she stood. She was certain comfort was the last thing he wanted at that moment.

"Clearly, he didn't help though, seeing as you're still here," she commented.

Klaus took a long sip from his glass and swallowed before confirming her observation. "No, he did not. Elijah stood against our father, choosing me. He's always carried guilt for that night for not stopping Mikael. I told him not to blame himself. When your father wants to kill you, he wants to kill you. Nothing you can do about it."

Cassandra started to open her mouth to speak when Klaus's phone began to buzz from inside his pocket. She promptly pressed her lips back together as he set his glass down on the table and pulled out his phone.

"Oh, I hate to be a know-it-all," he put his phone back into his pocket after reading the message on the screen and looked back at her. "My sister and her lover have been spotted it town, so story time endeth here, I'm afraid." He walked over to a ceramic statue that was resting on a stand propped up beside a brick wall and pushed it onto the ground, causing the base to break cleanly off.

Cassandra gasped and covered her mouth as she watched him kneel down and pull out a long, silver stake that had been hidden inside the statue. "Oh my god. The indestructible white oak stake. How did you—"

"Elijah gave it to me after he'd made the decision to let our sister have the cure," Klaus twirled it around in his hands. "I believe you were here in the city. He thought it would provide some comfort, having the one thing that can kill us in my possession. I suppose for a time it did, but now I aim to put it to good use."

She knew he was planning to kill Rebekah with it, but before she could say anything he whooshed out of the room. She shook her head and took off after him, going down the stairs as quickly as she could before racing to the corridor that led out to the street. She looked around and groaned when she spotted him a dozen yards away feeding on an innocent bystander.

"What are you doing?" She shouted as she rushed over to him.

He dropped the body once he finished feeding and wiped his mouth as he turned around to face her. "Well, if you have to ask, you obviously haven't been paying attention. I'm going to kill my sister, but first, I needed some sustenance with a little less vervain in it, no offense sweetheart."

"Klaus," Cassandra shook his comment away as she approached him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Please, _please_ don't do this. Don't kill your sister. You may not regret it today, or tomorrow, or a year from now, but one day your anger and thirst for revenge will fade, and you _will_ realize the horrible mistake you made. Don't do it. Don't take away our daughter's aunt. What's she going to think of you when she learns the truth someday because we both know a secret like this will come out eventually. Do you really want to give your daughter a reason to hate you? Because that's exactly what will happen."

"How _dare you_ threaten me with our child?" he leaned in, sneering in her face. It sent a fear crippling chill down her spine, which must have been reflected in her eyes because he instantly softened his face and backed off.

"I'm just being honest with you, okay?" She murmured calmly. "Of all your siblings, you're closest to Rebekah. You won't survive if you're the one who kills her."

"I'll tell you what I almost didn't survive, love—my sister bringing the most vile creature ever to have walked the earth down upon me."

"Yes, I know, your father, but think about this before you go whooshing away again. By hunting Rebekah down to the ends of the earth, by terrorizing them just as you yourself were terrorized, you'll be no different than him. Don't become your father, Klaus. You are so much better than that, better than him."

"You know, I never thought you, of all people, would consider me to be as vile a monster as he was. He was the monster monsters were of. Come. Let me show you."

He gently reached for her upper arm and guided her down the street. She kept her mouth shut as they walked, knowing he would explain soon enough. They didn't go far, just a few blocks over. When they came to a stop on the corner, he turned her around to face a huge three story hotel with a bunch flag poles hanging over the entrance with flags from several different countries dangling on the ends.

"Allow me to give you a little lesson on the history of this great city. On this very spot there used to be the most glorious Opera House. When it burned to the ground in 1919, that was my father at his worst," he spoke softly in her ear. He went on to tell her about that fateful night.

It was to be Rebekah and Marcel's first public date since gaining Klaus's blessing, but Marcel was unusually late. Rebekah left her seat in one of the private upper boxes they'd reserved to go look for him. That's when Mikael made his presence known to Klaus. Klaus was unable to flee due to the white oak dagger Mikael held against his back, and was forced to endure more abusive chatter from the man he called father. Mikael refused to kill him quickly, wanting to first tell him of his grand plan. Once Klaus was dead, he would remain in the town that Klaus and his siblings had built until every last person who remembered him is dead. No one would know of the great things he did in the city. It would be like he never existed. But first, Mikael wanted Klaus to enjoy the show he was at the theater to see.

"And what a show it was," Klaus murmured. "I'll spare you the gruesome details of what I saw on stage. To put it lightly, Mikael had killed my werewolf queen ally and left her body on display. Marcel was barely conscious and staked to a wooden cross by his hands. Mikael had compelled the audience to watch it all, applaud as if it were the drollest of comedies and then to leave celebrating a terrific night at the opera. I tried to save Marcel. My father had other ideas. Rebekah attempted to intervene. All these years, I actually believed she was trying to save me. But then, big brother swooped in, just when we thought all was lost. And so I ran, beaten like the dog my father believed me to be. And as we fled for our lives, he burnt it all to the ground and with it, we assumed, Marcel. I lived, but all that we had built died, as did the last shred of me that felt human. Although," he paused, reaching a hand out to gently caress her cheek. "I must admit, since I met you, those shreds seem to slowly be returning."

Cassandra smiled at him. "You know I love you, right? Crazy hybrid temper and all."

"I do," he nodded once. "I want you to know, Cassandra, that I will not become my father. I will not terrorize my sister and her lover for centuries. Nor will I humiliate or dehumanize them. No, none of that. I will simply and quickly end them."

She blinked and he was gone, having taken off at vampire speed. She ran back down the street to the compound and retrieved her cell phone from the bedroom. Her hands shook as she sent Rebekah a text, warning her about Klaus, and then dialed Elijah's number.

"Come on, come on, pick up," she muttered under breath as she paced around the room.

"Cassandra," Elijah answered after a number of rings. "Now isn't really a good—"

"Klaus has the white oak stake! He's going to kill Rebekah. I couldn't stop him!" she blurted out in one breath.

Elijah tightened his jaw as he processed this startling revelation. "Where is he now?"

"I have no idea. We were standing out on the street in front of the corner where the old Opera House was before it burned down and he whooshed away after announcing his plan to kill Rebekah and Marcel."

"I'll find him. Stay at the compound."

"Okay. Were you ever able to track down Celeste?"

"I was. You needn't worry. She will no longer be a problem for us or anyone else, nor will she be able to inhabit anymore bodies."

"Oh no," Cassandra's heart sank. "She's dead, isn't she?"

"You sound disappointed," Elijah spoke softly.

"Oh, I'm glad she's dead. It's just…I was hoping she would be able to undo the curse on the Crescent Wolves first. She's..she was the only one who could do it."

"She did. She made an elixir for the wolves to drink during the next full moon. Before you ask, I can assure you that it will work."

"Oh my god," Cassandra felt her eyes tear up as her heart swelled with joy and relief. "She did it. Hayley got her to do it. I had no idea if she'd be able to succeed in getting Celeste to break the curse, but she did. Ak! You have no idea how happy I am about this, Elijah. They're finally going to be free."

"Yes, they are, largely in part because of you and your determination to help them. Now, I need to go find Rebekah before Niklaus does," he let out a soft breath.

"Okay. Will…" she trailed off, realizing he had already hung up. She let out a breath as she slowly sunk down to sit on the edge of the bed. She stared down as she brought a hand up to her round baby bump. "Oh, baby girl. Your dad is on a real tear right now. I hope your Uncle Elijah is more successful at calming him down than I was."

She fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling as a feeling of helplessness settled within her. She had been so certain that she would be able to calm Klaus down and talk him out of seeking revenge on his sister, but she'd failed. Tears of frustration tickled the corners of her eyes, threatening to make their appearance known. She quickly rubbed them away before they could fall and focused on her breathing to calm herself down.

A moment later, her phone began to buzz from beside her on the bed. She rocketed up to a sitting position and snatched it up. Her heart raced inside her chest as she read Rebekah's flashing name on her screen.

"Rebekah! Oh my god!" She gasped into the phone after answering it. "Please tell me you are far, far away from New Orleans."

"I got your message. Thanks for that, by the way. Unfortunately, I can't," Rebekah sighed sadly. "Marcel and I were about to leave, but he wanted to kill the witches and grab Davina first.

"Yeah, Klaus figured you two would do that."

"And now my brothers and I are trapped in the cemetery until the next moonrise thanks to the Sabine…or Celeste, or whatever the bloody hell she was going by these days."

"You're WHAT?" Cassandra shrieked. "Klaus has the white oak stake. He means to kill you, Rebekah."

"Oh, calm down. I am well aware of what Nik wants to do to me. Elijah won't let him get anywhere near me if it's any consolation," Rebekah tried to give Cassandra some reassurance to cling to.

"You know what? Neither will I," Cassandra scrambled onto her feet. "I'm coming to the cemetery."

"No, you need to stay put."

"Think about it, Rebekah. Klaus isn't going to hurt me. I'm the perfect human shield, so as long as you keep me in front of you, he won't attack you. Or, at the very least, he'll move me out of the way, giving you that split second to flee."

Rebekah let out a soft hiss. "You know what? Fine. If you really insist on coming down here, obviously I can't stop you. How about a compromise? You wait until morning."

"Fine," Cassandra sighed. "I'll text you when get there."

"Alright then. I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow. Try not to worry too much about me, okay? The stress won't be good for you or the baby."

"I'll try. Watch your back, okay? I'll see you tomorrow."

After ending the call, Cassandra lowered her arm back to her side and sunk down onto the edge of the bed. She couldn't believe they were trapped for the next twenty four hours. _Yeah, there's no way I'm getting any sleep tonight_ , she shook her head. _You know what? Screw it!_ She jumped to her feet and marched out of the room with a renewed determination in her step. She went into Rebekah's room and dug a decent sized messenger bag out of her closet. Carrying the strap on her shoulder, she headed downstairs into the kitchen and grabbed a couple bottles of water, an apple and a banana, and a bunch of granola bars from the pantry. She quickly stuffed them inside the bag, deciding it would have to do, at least until the morning. She made sure the bag was sipped up tight before dashing back upstairs to grab her coat from the bedroom closet. She slipped it on and fastened the buttons.

"Now all I need are either Klaus's or Elijah's car keys," she murmured softly. She went over to the dresser and smiled at seeing a set of car keys placed off to the side. She scooped them up and hurried back downstairs. She briskly made her way through the courtyard to the corridor where the gate leading outside was and all but ran out to where Klaus's SUV was parked. Once she was sitting in the driver's seat with her seat belt buckled, she pulled up the address for Lafayette Cemetery on her phone and scanned the route she needed to take to get there. It was a pretty easy drive, with only a couple of turns along the thirty block distance.

She did her best not to speed as she drove. The last thing she wanted to do was attract unnecessary attention. When the entrance to the cemetery finally came into view, she thought her heart was going to pop out of her chest. She parked the car along the street and grabbed the messenger bag, looping the strap over her right shoulder as she climbed out. She quickly walked over to the entrance gate and slowly took a step inside. Using her phone as her light source, she held it in front of her so she could see the paved footpath in front of her.

"Nice job, Cass. You grab food and water, but you don't think to grab a flashlight," she muttered to herself under her breath. Knowing Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah could be any number of places inside the huge grounds. She knew better than to call out for any of them, instead walking silently as she listened as carefully as she could.

Out of nowhere a hand shot out from behind her covering her mouth so she couldn't scream. She was pulled off the path to the back side of one of the mausoleums and pushed up against it.

"Sssssh," Rebekah whispered as she appeared in front of Cassandra. She waited a beat before lowering her hand back to her side. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"Protecting you," Cassandra whispered back. "I know you said to wait, but it's not like I was going to get any sleep being at the compound all by myself knowing you three are trapped here. Don't worry, I packed food."

"Of course you did," Rebekah rolled her eyes. A sudden roaring yell caused Cassandra to flinch and look towards the direction it had come from. "Yes, that was Nik. You best get used to it. He's barely gotten started."

"Oh no. Maybe I should—"

"No. Just let him be. Elijah can handle him."

"Okay," Cassandra slowly nodded her head.

"Good. Follow me," Rebekah motioned with her head. She led the way to another mausoleum with gates that were wide open.

Cassandra was surprised to find a bunch of scattered lit candles casting dim light once they went inside. She couldn't help noticing the cobweb covered coffins tucked away in the back and shuddered at the thought of who's eternal home they were invading. Not wanting to dwell on it, she promptly shook the morbid thought as far from her mind as humanly possible.

"Since you insist on being here, this will have to do." Rebekah turned around to face her. "Go on and make yourself comfortable. It's going to be a long night."

"Okay," Cassandra nodded. As she looked around for a place to sit that wasn't completely covered in dirt and grime, she mentally kicked herself for not thinking to grab a blanket. Eventually she took to sitting on the ground and leaned back against an open space along the brick wall. She blinked and stifled a yawn as the long day finally caught up with her.

"You should try to get some sleep," Rebekah urged her after sensing her exhaustion. "You won't be of any use to anyone tomorrow morning if you try to stay up all night."

"You promise not to go anywhere and lock me in here?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, I promise. Despite our difference of opinion on your being here, I am rather touched that you came. Besides, there's nowhere for me to go anyway. Not until tomorrow evening," Rebekah walked over and took a seat beside Cassandra. "Get some rest. I'll be right here when you wake."

"Okay," Cassandra nodded, allowing herself to yawn. Rebekah peeled off her coat and folded it up so Cassandra could use it as a pillow. After getting it situated beside her, Cassandra carefully laid down and shifted around until she found a comfortable position on her side. "Ugh, why do I have a feeling I'm going to pay for sleeping on the hard ground like this in the morning?"

Rebekah's lips slowly curled into a small smile. "Oh, I'm sure either of my brothers would be more than willing to give you a back massage if you asked. In case you've failed to notice, you pretty much have the pair of them wrapped around your finger."

"Well, Klaus for sure, but you really think that applies to Elijah too?" Cassandra blinked in surprise.

"You know what?" Rebekah's smile widened as an idea came to her. "Let's put it to the test. The next time you need a favor, ask him for help and see how quickly he drops whatever he's doing to assist you."

"Deal," Cassandra chuckled softly. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh as her body finally began to relax.


	15. We Damaged Few

**So, as you may have realized after finishing the last chapter, I went a different direction with Cassandra for the next set of events that take place. She ends up in the cemetery with Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah instead of sneaking off to the Bayou. I felt the situation with Celeste warranted Hayley and Eve's aggressiveness. I didn't see Cassandra impacting that situation much. In the cemetery, however, it is quite a different story. I had a lot of fun figuring out how I wanted to fit her into the dynamics. I think you guys are really going to like it. As always, I can't express my gratitude enough to you, my loyal readers and reviewers. You guys are awesome and I love you. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 15 - We Damaged Few**

"I've never seen him like this before," Rebekah held her cell phone against her ear as she stared outside the entrance to the mausoleum the next morning while she spoke to Marcel. "He's out of his mind with rage, up all night howling one obscenity-laced tirade after the next. He's gonna kill me."

Cassandra stirred from her slumber, catching the last few words to leave Rebekah's mouth. She frowned as she rubbed her eyes and slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. Hearing her stir, Rebekah turned around and walked back towards her.

"That's a brilliant strategy, but given that dead bitch Celeste has trapped us in here til moonrise, my options are somewhat limited," Rebekah sighed in response to Marcel's comment that she stay as far away from Klaus as possible.

"Marcel?" Cassandra whispered after catching Rebekah's eye. Rebekah nodded. When she got off the phone, Cassandra could Rebekah's spirits were low with the looming prospect of living on the run in her future if she made it out of the cemetery alive. "What did he want?"

"He's working on a way to get me out of here before moonrise, but I must admit I do not have high hopes," Rebekah sighed glumly.

Cassandra reached out for Rebekah's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Rebekah gave her a weak smile before reaching for the messenger bag beside Cassandra on the ground. She pulled out a water bottle and an apple, handing both to Cassandra.

"Thanks," Cassandra murmured taking both. She twisted the lid off the water bottle and took a big drink before putting the cap back on and focusing on eating the apple. For the next little while, the only sound to be heard was the crunch of each bite of apple Cassandra ate. When she was done, she wrapped the apple core in a napkin and put it along with the water bottle back into the messenger bag. She glanced up at Rebekah and could tell from the look on her face that she was using her vampire hearing to listen in on whatever Elijah and Klaus were bickering about. "What are they saying?"

"Now Nik has taken to threatening Elijah for stabbing him with the blade," Rebekah sighed.

"Ugh," Cassandra groaned.

Another long minute passed before Rebekah spoke again. "Well, I think it's time I put an end his ranting." She started to walk forward to the entrance, then turned sideways towards Cassandra. "You coming?"

Cassandra nodded and scurried to her feet, taking her folded up jacket with her. She slipped it on looped the messenger back over her shoulder before following Rebekah out. Rebekah held a finger to her lips as they walked in silence. Eventually, Cassandra could hear Klaus and Elijah's voices from a few yards ahead. She signaled for Cassandra to wait while she went ahead first. Cassandra nodded and hung back just around the corner of a mausoleum as Rebekah forged ahead to confront her brothers.

"You ask me to show mercy to one who has wronged me," Klaus stared at Elijah, appalled that he could ask such a thing of him. "You really don't know me at all, do you, brother?"

"Enough," she called in a tired voice as she made her presence known. "Whatever I have done wrong, my guilt is nothing compared to yours. You want revenge? Fine, but before you have it, I will look you in the eye and tell you why it was your cruelty and your spite that led us to this."

"Well, go on then," Klaus gave an outstretched wave of his free hand as he scowled at her. "Speak your piece, and when you are finished, I will grant you the punishment you deserve, even if I have to go through Elijah to do so."

Having heard enough, Cassandra walked around the corner and marched up to Rebekah, folding her arms in front of her chest as she stood in front of her and glared at Klaus. There was a split second where the dumbfounded expressions on both his and Klaus's faces at the sight of her in the cemetery made her want to burst into laughter, but she swallowed it down knowing it was completely inappropriate. "Elijah's not the only one you'll have to go through to get to her. You want to get to Rebekah, you'll have to go through me, too."

"Cassandra, what are you doing here?" Elijah murmured softly.

"You are supposed to be at the compound," Klaus frowned, clearly put off by her presence.

"Surprise," Cassandra arched her eyebrows. "I've been here keeping Rebekah company. Don't worry, I managed to get some sleep and had something to eat. Now I intend to be Rebekah's human shield for however long it takes to get you to stand down because I know you're not going to hurt me."

The expression on his face not only told her that she was right, but that her being right made him even more irritated than ever before. Elijah, on the other hand, was completely amused at the sudden turn of events. As a small smile inched its way onto his face, he moved over to stand beside Rebekah and Cassandra.

"Fine," Klaus sighed. He vamp-sped up onto the roof of the cement tomb he'd been standing beside and sat down on a square block positioned at the back of the roof. "Let it begin—The trial of Rebekah Mikaelson."

"What a relief. His ego is in check," Rebekah sighed as she stared up at him.

"Just speak your truth," Elijah murmured softly to her. He raised his voice as his next words were directed at Klaus. "I'll make certain he behaves himself."

"So will I," Cassandra moved her eyes back to Klaus for a brief moment before taking a seat on one corner of the cement altar they stood beside, while Elijah sat on the other corner a couple of feet away.

"You stand accused of betraying your own blood," Klaus's voice bellowed on. "How do you plead?"

"I plead you to shut up and listen," Rebekah shouted back.

"You summoned our father. You brought him to our home," Klaus growled. "What possible defense could you have?"

"I knew he was the only thing that you feared, and I wanted you to run."

"Because you hated me."

"Because you were hateful. You denied me the freedom to love."

"Oh, so that's your defense?" Klaus leaned back as he raised his eyebrows, amused. "You called Mikael—The Destroyer, the Hunter of Vampires—because I detained you from pursuing some dull suitors.

Rebekah gave him a cold, hard stare. "You were cruel, and controlling and manipulative."

"I was trying to protect you," Klaus held his hands up in defense of his own actions. "From imbeciles and leeches, not to mention your own poor judgment."

"And what about the one you that you loved enough to call friend?" Rebekah kept her voice low and calm. "Why did you forbid me to love Marcel?"

Klaus jumped to his feet, sneering as he pointed a finger at her and growled in a low voice. "Do not mention his name."

"What has happened to you?" A sadness now hung in Rebekah's voice. "I remember the sweet boy who made me laugh and gave me gifts, who loved art and music. I wanted to be just like you. How could you have fallen so far?"

With a hand on her baby bump, Cassandra slowly rose up to her feet and turned to face Klaus. "Is this the example you're going to set for your daughter? To hunt down and punish anyone who hurts her or wrongs her? Because I will _not_ allow that to happen. Nor will I allow you to be controlling and manipulative towards her like you were to your sister. I—" she was cut off by Elijah gently placing his fingers on her elbow. She hadn't even realized he'd stood up and shifted so he was standing beside her. It was for the best, though, because she could tell from the look on Klaus's face that she had hit several nerves by bringing their daughter into the conversation. She needed to get those things off her chest and out in the open though, especially after witnessing his insanely childish behavior.

"You say you despise Rebekah for her betrayal," Elijah began to speak calmly, taking over the situation. "And yet no one has stood by your side for so long, not even I myself. Perhaps it's you that's forgotten. I remember the day that father caught you whittling little chess pieces with his hunting knife. He beat you so mercilessly and for so long, I actually feared for your life."

Cassandra covered her mouth with her hand as tears stung the corners of her eyes. She already knew that Klaus had been hated and hunted by Mikael, but she had no idea how deep his anger and abuse went. It broke her heart to think about the god awful pain he'd been forced to endure during his life as a human a thousand years ago. She stole a quick glance at his face and felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of his glossy eyes.

"So you would paint her as a loyal sister, but she betrayed me out of lust for Marcel. Perhaps that was why you did it—for love." For a split second Klaus sounded like he was becoming choked up, but as he pressed on, it went back to normal, growing louder as his words intensified. "Perhaps I might temper my rage if Rebekah will admit she was a victim of her own idiocy, that her great love Marcel used her to oust this family _and to take my city!"_

"Marcel did not manipulate me," Rebekah remained calm and collected.

"You defend him," Klaus slowly squatted down to get closer to Rebekah's eye level. "And yet you can't help but wonder, what if I'm right?"

Rebekah's eyes began to tear up as she grew more emotional. "We loved each other. It was your refusal to respect that that led to your ruin."

"Then why didn't he chase after you when you fled New Orleans?" Klaus paused and stood back up. "Oh, yes. That's right. He was _here, stealing what I built!_ "

"You want me to renounce Marcel, to beg for your forgiveness?" Rebekah bellowed as she glared at Klaus. "I won't. Marcel is not at fault. _I_ called Mikael."

Klaus's jaw tightened as he listened to her admittance. Sensing her escalation, Elijah started to reach his hand out in an attempt to calm her down. "Rebekah, you must—"

" _I_ was the one who brought him to New Orleans because of _your_ wickedness!" Rebekah ignored Elijah and continued to yell. Elijah sighed and lowered his hand, turning away knowing there was no stopping her now. "I wanted love, and happiness, and you denied me the freedom to have either. Yes, I hated and was afraid of our father, but he was a lesser evil than you, my bastard brother who loomed over me, threatening me as you are now! I wanted rid of you, and given the choice, I'd do it again."

Cassandra instantly knew it was the wrong thing for Rebekah to say. In a blur of movement, Klaus let out a feral yell as he leapt off the roof towards Rebekah, tightly gripping the white oak stake in his right hand. He pushed her back against the nearest mausoleum wall.

"Klaus!" Cassandra shrieked as he raised the stake and prepared to drive it through Rebekah's heart. Before he could, Elijah sped over to him and shoved him away from Rebekah onto the ground. As Klaus rolled away, Elijah was able to grab the white oak stake from. Holding it in his left hand and the Papa Tunde blade in his right hand, he slowly rose to his feet.

"Sister, leave us," Elijah ordered, keeping his eyes locked on Klaus.

"I won't go," Rebekah whispered.

"I said, leave us, please," Elijah ordered. "And take Cassandra with you."

Cassandra wanted to protest, but she bit her tongue and kept her mouth shut. Sighing, she turned and scurried off with Rebekah while Elijah dealt with Klaus. They didn't stop moving until they reached the mausoleum they had spent the night in. Cassandra was reeling after hearing everything Klaus and Rebekah had said to each other.

"You know, I really wish he would just get over it all—" Cassandra stopped short when she turned and found Rebekah holding her phone up to her ear. She pressed her lips together and casually wandered around the tomb while Rebekah updated Marcel on what was going on. When they were done talking on the phone, Rebekah fell silent as she used her vamp-hearing to listen to Klaus and Elijah talking outside. Cassandra wished she could hear, but then she quickly realized she was better off staying in the dark. What she didn't know couldn't upset or anger her.

After a few long minutes of silence, Cassandra decided she couldn't take it anymore. She started to open her mouth to say something when Elijah's blood curdling yell rang out. Without thinking, both girls bolted from the mausoleum in search of Elijah and Klaus to find out what happened. They skidded to a stop a couple of rows over when they came across the white oak stake resting in the middle of their path. Rebekah quickly picked up and motioned for Cassandra to follow behind her. When they reached the next tomb, they could hear Elijah gasping and moaning in pain.

"Now you know how it feels," Klaus hissed to Elijah as the Papa Tunde blade disappeared inside of him and sent him falling to the ground in a heap.

"That was supposed to be my line," Rebekah glared as she rounded the corner to face Klaus, gripping the white oak stake in her hand.

Cassandra came to a stop beside her and gasped when she saw Elijah lying on the ground with a large blood stain on his white dress shirt. "Elijah!" She clapped her hands over her mouth as Klaus turned around to face her and Rebekah.

"And now I have this," Rebekah held up the white oak stake. "So I decide who lives and who dies. I'm taking out that blade."

"You'll have to kill me first, and now you hold the means to do so," Klaus glared at her as he motioned at the deadly weapon she held in her hand while blocking the path to Elijah.

Cassandra couldn't stand to see Elijah laying there, gasping and twitching from whatever excruciating pain and torment the blade was inflicting on him as he stared blankly up at the sky. With determination in her step, she began to walk forward, leaving a surprised Rebekah in her wake. When she reached Klaus and started to step around him, he grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop.

"Let go of me," she growled, flashing him an icy stare. He sighed and released his grip on her, allowing her to pass by him. She raced over to Elijah and dropped to her knees beside him once she reached him. She stared at him for a moment, then quickly shrugged off her jacket and balled it up before carefully lifting up his head so she could place it underneath. After lowering his head onto the makeshift jacket pillow, she reached for his nearby hand and held it in hers as she leaned down and whispered softly to him. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, that I couldn't stop him sooner. We'll get that blade out, one way or another, I promise."

She did her best to tune out as much of Rebekah and Klaus's continued arguing as she could, instead focusing as much of her attention as she could on comforting Elijah. He briefly met her eyes and blinked a few times, almost as if to silently thank her for being there. She flashed him an encouraging smile.

Noticing Klaus and Rebekah's bickering had gotten softened, she glanced up and discovered they were no longer in sight. _They must have moved around the corner._ Seizing the moment alone, Cassandra started to look around for something sharp she could use to cut into Elijah so she could remove the dagger, but she couldn't find anything.

"Ugh," she growled softly. "This would be so much easier if I were a vampire."

Shaking the thought away, she leaned back against the brick tomb they were next to and let out a deep sigh. They were going to have to wait for Klaus to want to free Elijah. Only he and Rebekah would have the capability of removing the blade as long as they remained trapped in the cemetery.

"Hang in there, Elijah," she murmured softly as she stole another glance at him. This time his eyes were closed as his body continued to twitch. A few more minutes went by before she realized how quiet it had gotten. She leaned forward and strained her ears, but she couldn't hear Rebekah and Klaus anymore. A chill ran up the back of her neck as she realized what the implications behind the silence could be. She quickly scrambled to her feet and cautiously made her way around the corner of the tomb she and Elijah were next to. Her eyes widened as an audible gasp left her lips when she saw Rebekah lying unconscious on the ground with a huge blood stain on her chest. She ran up to the fallen original vampire and dropped to her knees beside her. She saw the fact that Rebekah was neither desiccated nor burned to a crisp as a good sign.

"Okay, so he didn't kill you, not permanently anyway. That's good," Cassandra mumbled to herself. Knowing there was nothing more she could do for her friend, she rose back up to her feet and continued on farther down the row. When she reached the end and rounded the corner she spotted Klaus sitting on a flat cement platform a few yards down the next row beside the tomb that Elijah happened to be laying by on the opposite side. As she made her way towards him she couldn't help noticing the bloody white oak stake resting to the right on the cement slab beside him. She didn't let her eyes linger on it for long, instead shifting them back onto Klaus. He sat with his elbows propped up on his legs while he rested his chin and mouth against his hands which were folded together. He looked pensive, but she knew he was really coming to terms with lashing out at his sister.

"Feel better now?" She spoke softly once she reached him. He glanced up at her but said nothing. She let out a light breath and took a seat next to him on his left side. She looped her arm around his and leaned her head against his shoulder, a sign she wasn't mad at him anymore. He turned his head and gently pressed his lips against her forehead. They remained there, sitting silently as they watched the sun begin to set.

A little while later, the sound of approaching footsteps drew Cassandra's attention. She lifted her head as Rebekah came into view, a stunned expression on her face over the fact that she was still alive. Klaus did not acknowledge her at first, instead keeping his eyes lowered to the ground.

"You missed my heart," Rebekah stared at him as she came to a stop a few feet way.

"Perhaps I did," Klaus whispered in a low voice. "Or perhaps I never meant to kill you. Perhaps I just wanted you to feel a fraction of the fear I felt when father came for me."

"Do you yourself know the truth?" Rebekah murmured barely above a whisper.

"I know this. You accuse me of being evil, and yet," his eyes flickered up onto his sister. "You are the one who conspired to kill your own blood."

Rebekah's voice began to tremble as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You made our lives a living hell. You tormented us."

Cassandra looked from Rebekah back to Klaus and felt a lump form in her throat at the sight of tears rolling down his cheeks. She let go of his arm and moved her hand to his back, rubbing it in slow, gentle movements in an attempt to comfort him the best she could.

"I love my family," his eyes widened as he stared up at his sister. "You, Elijah. I loved all of you." He paused and slowly rose to his feet. Cassandra dropped her arm to her side and remained seated as he approached Rebekah. "I know I can be difficult, but I did not make myself this way. It was Mikael who ruined me."

"He ruined me too. That's what you forget," Rebekah whispered. Klaus tilted his head slightly as he stared at her curiously, wondering what she meant by it. "Centuries later, each of us is broken—you with your anger and paranoia, me with my fear of abandonment, and poor Elijah, he dedicates himself to everyone but himself. We are the strongest creatures in the world, and yet we are damaged beyond repair. We live without hope, but we never die. We are the definition of 'cursed' always and forever."

Cassandra wiped her eyes before her own tears could fall and rose to her feet. Wordlessly, she walked up beside Klaus and slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. With her other hand she reached out for Rebekah's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before letting go. While continuing to hold her hand, Klaus began to walk around Rebekah. They continued to walk until they were standing beside the spot where Elijah lay on the ground.

"Wait here," Klaus instructed in a low voice as he let go of her hand. Cassandra nodded silently, remaining firmly planted where she was while he stepped forward. She could see Elijah's open eyes as he continued to twitch from the blade still trapped inside of him. Klaus knelt down beside him and placed a hand on him as he took a deep breath and slammed his right first straight into Elijah's chest. Cassandra covered her mouth with her hands as Elijah yelled out in pain. A second later Klaus removed his now bloody hand, holding the curved Papa Tunde blade within it. As Elijah slowly began to catch his breath, he met Klaus's eyes. "Now we're even."

He stood up and slowly turned around to face Cassandra. "You can help him if you wish to. I won't stop you."

"Okay," Cassandra nodded her head. He continued to walk past her, leaving her to aid Elijah. She waited a beat before dropping to her knees beside him and pulled one of her jacket sleeves off. She held her wrist out in front of him. "Here. Drink. I'm free of vervain so you'll heal and regain your strength faster."

Elijah nodded and gently wrapped his hands around her arm as he lowered his mouth onto her skin. She winced as his fangs punctured her flesh, but only for a moment. When he'd had enough, he released her arm and took a few deep breaths before sitting up.

"Thank you, Cassandra," he gave her a grateful smile as he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the blood away from her healed arm. "Not just for the blood, for standing up to Niklaus, and for being by my side.

"You're welcome," she smiled back at him. "Oh, you should know, he didn't kill Rebekah. He did stab her, but he purposefully missed her heart. They've…I guess they've come to terms with what she and Marcel did. He hasn't forgiven her, but he's not raging mad anymore."

"Good," Elijah was relieved to hear this.

He quickly rose to his feet and held out a hand to help her up. Cassandra obediently placed her hand into his and allowed him to assist her in standing up. He let go of her hand and helped her with putting her jacket back on the rest of the way before they began to head to the entrance gate. They were a few yards back from it when they saw the gate swing open. As they continued walking they watched as Rebekah walked through the gate and out of the cemetery without a problem, while Klaus remained still. Elijah hung back while Cassandra walked the rest of the way to Klaus and came to a stop beside him. When he turned to look at her, a tear had begun to fall down his cheek. She raised her hand and gently brushed it away with her thumb before wrapping her arms around his neck. He slowly raised his arms and wrapped them around her torso, holding her close as he pressed his cheek against the side of her face.

"I love you, raging temper and all," she whispered in his ear. "I just wanted you to know that."

Klaus leaned his head back and brought a hand up caress the side of her face as she looked at him. He tucked a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear and leaned in, pressing his lips lightly against hers.

"Let's go home," he murmured softly.

She nodded and allowed him to vamp-speed the two of them out of the cemetery and down the street back to the compound. He came to a stop outside the entrance gate and kept an arm wrapped around her as they made their way inside. She stared in surprise at the group of vampires congregating in the courtyard, tightening her hold on Klaus just a little bit more as the posse rose to their feet.

"Is there a reason why you lot are loitering in my home?" Klaus, too, had tightened his hold on Cassandra as he looked around and glared at other vampires."

"I asked them to be here," Marcel's voice rang out, bringing both Klaus and Cassandra to a sudden stop. As Marcel continued to speak he made his way over to where the pair stood. "You and I need to settle this out in the open."

Klaus took a deep breath before he and Cassandra turned around to face Marcel. "I thought you would've run off by now."

"Yeah. Well, this is my town. You may want me to beg forgiveness, but I'm not sorry. I may not be able to beat you, but I came here to face you, to end this in front of my people. If you're gonna kill me for that, get on with it."

Cassandra had no idea what Klaus was going to do. She watched him as he stared long and hard at Marcel, most likely debating his options in his head, and was taken completely by surprise when he let out a breath, licked his lips, and turned away from Marcel, taking her with him as they headed over to the stairs and went up to the second floor. She was floored that he'd taken the high road instead of the more violent path, and couldn't wait to tell him so.

They were halfway up the steps when a loud thud followed by a loud groan made Cassandra flinch in surprise. She looked over her shoulder and found Elijah standing in the middle of the courtyard while Marcel was next to a wall, picking himself up off the ground after being thrown against it by the eldest Mikaelson.

"Good evening," Elijah eyed the group of vampires as he buttoned up his suit jacket. "I trust I need no introduction. After all, this was once my family home. Tonight I'm taking it back."

When Klaus and Cassandra reached the upper floor they stood on the balcony, watching as Elijah paced around as he spoke in a cool, threatening without being menacing tone. She stole a glance at Klaus and saw the same look of awe on his face that she was sure matched her own.

"Your privileges here have been revoked. Marcellus," he spun around and slid a hand into his pants pocket as he began to walk towards Rebekah's old lover. "Out of respect for my sister, I will grant you this one mercy." He raised his other hand and pointed his finger at Marcel. "I will allow you to keep your life. However, you're hereby exiled. If I so much as find a trace of you in the French Quarter, it will not end well for you. Do you understand?"

Marcel remained silent as he stared at Elijah. Knowing he'd made his point, Elijah turned around and walked a few steps. "That is all. Run along."

"Wow," Cassandra muttered as the vampires slowly filed out of the courtyard and back into the Quarter.

"Nicely done brother," Klaus murmured. Elijah turned his head and met Klaus's eyes. "You're beginning to sound like me I'm impressed."

He turned around and walked off, leaving Cassandra alone on the balcony. She shared one last glance with Elijah before turning around and heading off to her and Klaus's room. She shrugged off her coat and draped it over a chair by the dresser before pulling her phone out of her pocket as she made her way over to the window. She stared out at the darkened yard, replaying the events that had transpired in the cemetery.

She was so lost in thought that she jumped when her phone began to vibrate in her hand. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and held her hand up to look at the screen. Rebekah was calling her. She quickly tapped the screen to answer and held the phone up to her ear.

"Rebekah, hey. I wondered where you'd disappeared to," Cassandra murmured in a light tone.

"Hey, Cassandra. I just wanted to call and say goodbye," Rebekah spoke softly.

Cassandra blinked in surprise. "What? You're leaving? But…why? What happened to us girls sticking together?"

"Well, Nik and I came to a sort of all-or-nothing arrangement. I leave town for good, he allows me to. Can't pass that up."

"Oh." Cassandra's eyes began to gloss over with tears. "So…I'm never going to see you again?"

"Not never, but for a long while at least. It's for the best."

"You know you can always come back and visit. I've been known to keep a secret or two from Klaus…for worthy causes. I can think of nothing more worthy than my daughter getting to see her aunt."

Rebekah's lips curled into a weak smile as her own eyes began to fill with fresh tears. "Well, if I can't, you make sure to tell that little girl stories of her crazy Auntie Bex and let her know, despite my absence, I do love her very much."

Cassandra looked down as she brought a hand up to rest against her baby bump and smiled. "Absolutely. And I'll be sure to bombard your phone with zillions of pictures and videos, too."

Both girls shared a sad laugh as they fought to keep their tears at bay.

"I always wondered what it would be like to have a sister," Rebekah sniffled.

"Now, you know. You stay in touch, okay? Otherwise I'll be forced to recruit Elijah to help me hunt you down."

"And I have no doubt he would help you in an instant. Take care of them for me."

"I will," Cassandra nodded her head.

They said their final goodbyes and ended the phone call with a sadness looming in their hearts. Cassandra continued to stare out of the window while she waited for her emotions to calm down. A little while later she set her phone down on the nightstand and wandered out of the room in search of Klaus. She found in the Parlor Room sitting in one of the large leather chairs with a beautiful wooden box open in front of him on the coffee table. She leaned against the doorway, watching him as he held a small wooden horse and rider in his hands, the very knight he had carved for Rebekah a thousand years ago when they were children. His face was somber as he stared at the trinket.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Cassandra murmured softly as she leaned against the door frame, resting her folded arms on top of her stomach.

He lifted his head and met her eyes with a tiny smile. "That's supposed to be my line."

"Guess I'm borrowing it then," she chuckled as she made her way over to him and sat down on the arm of the chair he was seated in. "Is that—"

"The knight I carved for Rebekah? It is indeed," he nodded and carefully placed it in her hand.

"Wow," Cassandra whispered in awe as she moved it around with her finger tips. "How has it managed to stay so pristine after a thousand years?"

"By staying locked up in this box," he nodded at the open wooden box on the table.

"Of course."

"I was thinking," he took the knight back from her. "I want to give this to our daughter."

"Oh, that's so sweet of you," Cassandra felt her heart swell at the gesture.

Smiling, he set the knight down on the table and turned to take her hands into his. "I want you to know that, what you said earlier today, I needed to hear. I will not be an overbearing father to our child. I do not want her to grow up feeling trapped like Rebekah did. I will protect her, yes, but I will not stop her from finding happiness. I give you my word on that."

"Good," she squeezed his hands gently. "Although, now I'm wondering….maybe I should get you to put that in writing."

He arched his eyebrows at her, wondering if she was serious. When a grin began to spread across her face, he knew then that she was only joking. To retaliate, he pulled her off of the arm of the couch and into his arms where he began to lightly squeeze her sides. She instantly began to squirm and quickly grabbed his hands to stop him.

"No, there will be no tickling the pregnant lady," she laughed as she laced their fingers together.

"If she does not wish to be tickled, she should know better than to jest a hybrid."

"Fine, fine. It was worth it though, making you smile like that. Especially after the day we've all had."

"Yes, I suppose it was. Thank you, love."

"You're welcome," she murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder. They fell silent, enjoying each other's warm embrace as they sat listening to the soft crackling from the fire burning in the fireplace. They took comfort in the small reprieve from the drama that refused to cease from unfolding around them, although, with Elijah taking control over the compound and, by effect, the city, the tide was certainly changing. Whether it was for better or for worse, they didn't yet know. Only time would tell.


	16. The Quest For Peace

**Wow! The comments on the last chapter completely blew me away! You guys are amazing. Thank you so much for the continued support. I'm really excited about this next chapter. It's pretty action packed and chalk full of Klaus/Cassandra and Elijah/Cassandra goodness. There's a little bit of a time jump, but nothing too drastic, and Cassandra finally gets to meet the Crescent Wolves. I will leave you with that to look forward to. Happy reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16 - The Quest For Peace**

Six Weeks Later

Things were calm in the weeks that followed Rebekah's departure from the French Quarter. Klaus took Cassandra all around the city, showing her all of its splendor and beauty. When they weren't out and about, she would watch him paint. Several times he invited her to paint with him, but each time she shook her head and turned him down. She got more enjoyment out of watching him swirling around different colors on canvas than attempting to do so herself.

That particular morning, she'd woken up alone in their bed and discovered he'd been up during the night painting and had fallen asleep on the leather couch in his art room. She paused in the doorway to gaze longingly at his peaceful, sleeping form, with one arm tucked under his head while the other dangled over the side of the couch. She smiled as she began to tip toe over to him. When she reached the couch, she carefully knelt down beside him. As her eyes glossed over him, she was met with a bold idea on how to go about waking him. Making a quick decision, she decided to go for it.

Biting her lip, she slowly stretched out her arm out towards his waist and carefully unbuttoned his jeans. When he remained still, she grinned and slid her hand under the denim fabric. She watched his face as she began to tease him. He let out a soft sigh as his hips jerked slightly in response. Grinning, she decided to up the ante and leaned forward, bringing her lips down to his neck. She gently nipped and sucked his skin around his Adam's apple and made sure to allow the tip of her tongue to graze him every so often.

A few minutes later she heard him hum as he brought a hand up to the back of her head and ran his fingers through her hair. She pulled away from his neck and lifted her head to meet his eyes.

"Mmm, I could get used to waking up this way," he murmured with a smile.

"I'm sure you could," she smiled back at him. Tired of kneeling, she pulled her hand out of his jeans and rose to her feet.

"You're not going to leave me here all hot and bothered now are you, love?" He arched his eyebrows at her. Before she could answer, he whooshed onto his feet and grabbed her. She blinked and found herself flat on her back underneath him on the couch with his warm breath brushing against her neck as he spoke in her ear in a low, husky voice while his hand slid up her leg and under her satin nightgown. "Because that would not be very nice of you."

"Nope. Of course not," she squeaked as she squirmed against his light touch.

"Good," he grinned and crashed his lips against hers.

-o-

A little while later, Cassandra lay curled up on the couch after slipping her nightgown back on while Klaus stood next to her as he finished buttoning up his shirt.

"Well, that was definitely not how I thought the day would start," Cassandra chuckled lightly. "I'm still waiting for the day to come where I feel too tired and too pregnant for sex, especially now that I'm in the third trimester, because it clearly has not happened yet."

Klaus turned to her as he finished buttoning his shirt and smirked at her. "What can I say? I'm irresistible."

"Oh my gosh!" She grabbed the pillow she was leaning against and threw it at him. Naturally, he caught it with little effort and placed it by her feet. She let out a scoff as she shook her head. "I'm not even going to comment on that."

"Because you know it's true."

"Ahem," Elijah politely cleared his throat as he walked into the room. "I apologize for the interruption, but, Cassandra I wondered if you'd give me a moment alone with my brother."

"Of course," Cassandra nodded and quickly rose to her feet. She shuffled past Klaus and Elijah and made a beeline for the bedroom. As she got dressed, she mulled over whatever it was that Elijah needed to speak to his brother about in private. She figured it wasn't anything to do with her, because if that were the case he'd tell her too.

Once she was dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a long sleeve sweater top, she started to remake the bed when her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She picked it up and saw a new text from Hayley. _Hey. When r u gonna come out to the bayou to meet the pack now that they're cured? Jackson really wants to meet u and thank u in person. They all do._

A rush of excitement flowed through Cassandra as she read the message and typed in her response. _Hey! You know what? I think I'll come out there today. I don't have anything going on. I really want to meet them too!_

She hit send and shoved her phone into her pocket as she hurried out of the room to run the idea past Klaus. When she returned to the Parlor she found him standing in front of his easel making long strokes with a paint brush.

"So," she clasped her hands together and rested them on top of her baby bump as she came to a stop beside him. "Would you object to my taking a trip out to the Bayou to see Hayley and her pack?"

He thought over it a moment, then turned to her with a smile. "Go right ahead. Have fun, but do try to stay out of trouble. Take my car."

"Oh! Yay! I'll be careful, I promise," she quickly pecked him on the cheek and scurried off to let Hayley know she was coming.

After slipping on a pair of flat boots, Cassandra pulled on her warm coat and tucked her phone into her purse before pulling it over her shoulder as she headed downstairs. Once she was buckled in Klaus's black SUV, she loaded the location Hayley gave her into her phone's navigation app and went on her way. Her insides twitched in anticipation of finally meeting the wolves who had saved her in their human form.

 _Thank god Hayley gave me good directions_ , Cassandra exhaled softly as she steered the car down a dirt road that was almost completely obscured by trees and brush. _I totally would have gone right past it otherwise. Now I just take this all the way to the end and she should be waiting for me._ Sure enough, as she reached the end of the path, the familiar outline of her werewolf friend came into view. She quickly shut off the car and climbed out to greet Hayley.

"Hey!" Cassandra grinned as she came to a stop in front of her.

"Hey Cassandra," Hayley smiled back and gave her a quick hug. "Looks like you didn't have any trouble getting here."

"Nope. No problems at all. Your directions were fabulous."

"I'm glad. Well, come on. Camp's back this way."

Hayley pointed in the direction behind where they were standing and led the way through the trees. A few minutes later they came to a large encampment with dozens of tents scattered about. Farther back, Cassandra could a see an old, tin-roofed barn. Before she could ask about it, Hayley steered her toward a group of guys that were congregating in an open clearing. One of them spotted the two of them approaching and broke out from the group to approach them. He had brown shaggy hair, brown eyes, and a brown goatee. He was wearing worn blue jeans with a black button up shirt and a faded blue denim jacket. Ruggedly handsome came to Cassandra's mind as he flashed her a friendly smile.

"Cassandra, this is Jackson," Hayley introduced her friend.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Cassandra smiled as she held out her hand to him.

"It's nice to officially meet you too," he shook her hand. "Thank you, by the way, for finding that cure for us. You didn't have to help us, but we're mighty grateful you did."

"You're welcome. I'm just glad it worked and you're all free now."

"Come on, I"ll introduce you to everyone else," Jackson motioned for Cassandra to follow him.

She spent the next little while meeting the rest of the pack and was surprised at how welcoming they were considering she was human. She figured Hayley was a big reason behind it and made a mental note to thank her profusely later on. Eventually she wound up standing beside Hayley and Jackson as they and a bunch of others stood around watching a group of guys sparring. It was the kind of behavior that didn't come as a shock to Cassandra at all.

"Why aren't you out there playing fight club with them?" Cassandra eyed Jackson curiously as he looked on with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Oh, that's just for pecking order," Jackson gave the slightest shake of his head. He paused and turned his head slightly to meet her eyes. "They already know who's the alpha."

"Oh. Heh, gotcha," Cassandra chuckled as she nodded her head.

There was a loud cheer as one of the two guys sparing flipped his opponent over his shoulder, effectively taking him down and winning the fight. After a second, he held out a hand to help his opponent back onto his feet. Someone else yelled for the next challenger to step into the middle. A muscular man with blonde hair that came down to his chin jumped up and down to pep himself up as he readied himself for the challenge. Cassandra quickly recalled Jackson introducing him as Oliver. As Oliver began to unzip his dark green hoodie revealing his bare chest, another one of the guys stooped beside him to whisper something in his ear. Oliver looked up to meet Cassandra's eyes for the briefest of seconds. She was being pulled away by Hayley and Jackson, so she didn't think much of it.

They led her over to the huge tin-roofed barn, which she learned served as their dining hall. She was pleasantly surprised to see how cozy it was inside with candelabras spaced out across the long banquet tables and wooden chandeliers hanging from the rafters. The food that was being set out on the table looked delicious, and she could hardly wait to taste it.

"This is so charming and not what I expected at all," Cassandra gushed as her eyes darted all around the barn.

"Just wait until you try Tucker's ribs," Jackson grinned as he set out some empty plates on the table.

"They're that good huh?" Cassandra gripped the top of the chair she was standing behind.

"Oh hell yeah," Jackson nodded. "I guarantee they'll be the best ribs you've ever had."

"Wow. Heh, I'll take your word for it."

"So are we supposed to just forget that she's a human who spends all her time with vampires?" Oliver, now wearing a black t-shirt, casually walked up to the opposite side of the table and sat on the edge as he picked a piece of food up off one of the plates and popped it into his mouth.

"Ollie, back off," Jackson gave his friend a cold stare.

Cassandra blinked in surprise as she processed Oliver's remark and quickly brushed it off. "It's okay. He isn't wrong."

"Yeah. If the runt of the litter has got something to say, he should say it," Hayley folded her arms.

Oliver chuckled softly as he licked his fingers. "You know, word from the Quarter is your boy Elijah's holding some kind of power summit. Guess who wasn't invited?"

"Where did you hear this?" Cassandra eyed him skeptically.

"It doesn't matter," Oliver rose back up to his feet. "Point is that we're stuck here living in the swamp while your baby daddy's vampire brother is deciding who gets what in the city, but I guess that shows how much respect he's got for the werewolves, huh?"

Cassandra watched him walk off, shaking her head in dismay. She was dumbfounded that Elijah would do something like that. She knew what she had to do.

"I'll talk to Elijah," she told Jackson and Hayley.

They nodded and walked her back to her car. After promising to call Hayley afterwards, Cassandra climbed into the driver's seat and began to drive back to the city. She gripped the steering wheel tightly as she thought about what exactly she wanted to say to Elijah. She couldn't wait to hear whatever excuse he had for not wanting the wolves at the faction meeting.

When she finally arrived at St. Anne's church where the meeting was being held, she could hear the loud voices of the various people in attendance arguing and bickering from outside as she approached the doors. As she pulled the front door of the church open, Elijah's booming voice calling the group to a quiet order nearly stopped her in her tracks. She quickly regained her composure and took a deep breath as she pressed forward and went inside.

"Now, returning to the issue of boundaries, you will all heed to the following," Elijah leaned forward in his seat at the head of the table he had gathered everyone around.

"Seriously?" Cassandra growled as she briskly walked up to the table. "You're dividing up the city, and the werewolves don't even get a say?"

"What the hell is she doing here?" Diego, one of the vampires in attendance, jumped to his feet and glared at her.

"Diego, sit," Elijah commanded as he kept his eyes fixed on Cassandra. Once Diego had returned to his seat, Elijah slowly stood up. "We are not dividing the city. We're establishing boundaries—"

"No, Elijah!" Cassandra held up a hand, cutting him off. "There is not gonna be a peace if the werewolves are excluded. They want a seat at the table, and if they don't get one, I can guarantee that you will all regret it."

The group of people gathered around the table began to speak in an uproar of angry voices. Elijah's jaw tightened as he stared at Cassandra, visibly put off by her interruption. She tilted her head and folded her arms across her chest as she stared back at him and waited for him to respond. Eventually the arguing and bickering became too much, leaving Elijah no choice but to send everyone away so he and Cassandra could talk in private. Once they were alone, Cassandra gripped the top of the chair Father Kieran had been sitting in while Elijah paced around near the base of the steps leading up to the stage.

"Do you have any idea what it took just to get those people in one room together?" He stretched out his arm and pointed a finger at her as he spoke in a firm voice.

"No, actually, I don't, because I didn't even know what you were doing out here until someone else told me," she hissed back at him. "'I keep nothing from you' you once told me. That certainly didn't last long. Why'd you do it, Elijah? Why leave them out of this?"

He walked forward until he was back at the opposite end of the table from where she stood. "I excluded them because they no longer reside in the French Quarter. My immediate concern is to end the mounting conflict here. Now I can assure you once this treaty is solidified, it will expand to include your werewolf friends."

"And until then, I should tell them what? Sit, stay, roll over?" Cassandra argued.

"I would prefer that you remove yourself from the process altogether," Elijah snapped in a booming voice. Cassandra blinked in surprise from his outburst. He had never spoken to her in such a way before. She could tell he instantly regretted it as he looked down and took a deep breath to regroup. After a beat, he began to make his way around the table towards her, speaking in a much softer voice. "Cassandra, forgive me. I should not have taken that tone of voice with you."

"Yeah, well, you've done a lot of things today that you shouldn't have." She shrugged, sighing softly. "The wolves deserve a voice. Give them one. You know it's the right thing to do.

She turned around and left him to think things over as she headed outside. While she walked to her car she pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent Hayley a message, updating her on the situation. She wished she had better news to give them, but at least now they knew why Elijah had kept them out of the meeting.

When she arrived back at the compound, Cassandra nearly crashed into Cami in the corridor leading to the courtyard as Cami was making her way out to the street. "What are you doing here?" Cassandra asked after giving her a quick hug.

"My uncle, Kieran, he's getting worse," Cami murmured. "I was hoping Klaus would be able to do something to help, but he said there isn't anything else he can do."

"Oh, Cami. I'm so sorry."

"It is what it is. I'm not giving up. I'll keep searching until I find a way to save him."

"Please let me know if there's anything I can do, okay?" Cassandra gave Cami's arm a small, reassuring squeeze. "Even if it's just to be a sounding board. I have a lot of practice with that, thanks to my baby sister."

"Thanks," Cami gave her a weak smile. "I appreciate it. Might just have to take you up on that too."

Cassandra lingered momentarily, watching Cami walk out to the street where her car was, then continued on into the courtyard. When she made it upstairs she wasn't surprised to find Klaus standing in front of his easel, painting away. She also wasn't surprised when he began to speak to her without turning around, figuring he'd heard coming with his hybrid ears.

"How was your trip to the Bayou?" He hummed as she came to a stop beside him.

"Good. They were all pretty welcoming," she paused to admire his work for a moment. She didn't have a clue what his end result was going to be, but she enjoyed watching his process. After the moment had passed, she sighed as she turned to face him, folding her arms over her chest. "I would have stayed for dinner, but then we found what your ass of an older brother was up to and I left so I could go speak to him. Did you know about his meeting…what am I saying…of course you knew."

Klaus lowered his painting hand to his side. "Yes, I knew. I wasn't aware it would upset you so."

"Well, it did. The wolves deserve to have a say in how the city is divvied up. I explained this to Elijah. I only hope what I said got through to him."

"I'm sure it did, love."

"Yeah, well, I guess time will tell," she let out a soft breath.

"Mmm," Klaus nodded in agreement. "So how is our littlest wolf doing?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes at the nickname, even though a part of her did find it enduring. "She's fine, either doing some kind of tap dance or working on her soccer kicks." She reached for his free hand and placed it on her protruding stomach so that he could feel the baby's movement. He stared at her, a look of astonishment appearing on his face.

"She's a strong one, like her mother," He smiled at her.

"Or her father, depending on how you look at it," Cassandra grinned back at him.

"That's a good point," he chuckled as he pulled his hand away.

"Well, since you're still painting away, I'm going to go grab some food and crash," she leaned forward and pecked him lightly on the cheek before walking past him.

"I'll be there in a little while," he called out after her.

-o-

Cassandra stood in front of the full length mirror in the bedroom she shared with Klaus, giving her appearance one final glance. She wore a floor length midnight blue gown with a gathered, crossover v-neckline and cap sleeves. The dress had a sheer, floral lace top layer that gave it a simple elegance and it hugged her in all of the right places without overly clinging to her round baby bump. A matching midnight blue satin sash tied under her bust and above her bump finished the look. She smiled as she swiveled her hips around, causing the bottom of the dress to swish around slightly.

It was one of a few dresses Rebekah had generously selected for Cassandra in the event of having a party to attend; much like the impromptu one Elijah was throwing that night following the meeting she crashed. It was his attempt to bring everyone, including the werewolves, together. Excited, she had promptly called Hayley who was able to strong arm Jackson and the other wolves to attend the party. _Witches, werewolves and vampires all in the same room? It'll be a miracle if they all make it through the party without causing any drama,_ she shook her head lightly as she turned around and made her way out of the room.

She could hear the low hum of chatter and laughter mixed with the rumbling of loud music as she walked down the hall towards the courtyard. She stared in amazement at the huge crowd of people congregating in the open area while she descended down the stairs. She smiled when she spotted Jackson and Hayley among the throngs of party goers and smiled at them as she wandered around. She had to admit Elijah had done a fantastic job putting the whole party together in under twenty-four hours. She only wished Rebekah could have been there to enjoy it.

Putting those depressing thoughts aside, Cassandra made her way over to where the bar was and asked for a club soda. She would have loved to be sipping champagne, but being pregnant forced her to abstain. The bartender handed her a glass with a clear, fizzy liquid inside, which she took with a smile. When she turned around and raised the glass to her lips to take a sip, her eyes landed on Klaus standing up on the balcony, only he wasn't alone. He had been joined by a striking redhead wearing a formfitting black dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves. She watched the two of them conversing, wishing she had super vampire hearing to listen in on whatever they were saying. Figuring she'd just ask him about it later, she turned her attention back to the party, gazing at the pairs of people swaying to the music in the center of the courtyard.

A few seconds later Elijah walked up from behind her and held his right hand out as he came to a stop beside her. "Would you care to dance?" He asked in a light voice.

Cassandra smiled and quickly set her glass down a nearby ledge before placing her left hand in his. He led her out to the area where everyone was dancing and turned around to face her, releasing her left hand and reaching for her right hand as his right hand moved down to rest on her waist. She brought her left hand up and curled it around his shoulder as they began to sway to the music.

"You really outdid yourself and even found a way to tear Klaus away from his painting for a while," her eyes darted around at the different decorations. "I was beginning to think that was an impossible feat."

"Yes, well he never could resist attending a sizable soirée," Elijah chuckled softly.

"I saw him a little while ago up on the balcony talking to a red head," Cassandra slowly met his eyes. "Do you know who she is?"

"Genevieve. She's a witch, the very one responsible for casting the spell in 1919 for Rebekah and Marcellus which brought Mikael to the city," Elijah spoke in a low voice.

"1919? But how….oh. She's one of the resurrected witches."

"Yes. She tortured Rebekah at the sanitarium and revealed the truth about what Rebekah and Marcelles had done to Niklaus."

"Oh," Cassandra nodded slowly. "I see. You wouldn't happen to know what they were talking about by any chance, would you?"

"I'm afraid not," Elijah smiled apologetically.

"Ah, I figured as much. Still, had to ask," she gave a light shrug of her shoulders. Elijah caught her off guard by letting go of her waist and spinning her around. She grinned wildly as he pulled her back to him afterwards and moved his hand back to her waist. "Wow! You know, I thought your brother, both of your brothers, were wonderful dancers, but I do believe you'd give them a run for their money."

"Who do you think taught them?" He flashed her a cheeky smile before spinning her around a second time.

"Of course you did," her head bobbed as she laughed. "Thank you, by the way, for including the wolves."

"You made an excellent argument. Also, forgive me for not saying so sooner, you look beautiful," he murmured, gazing back at her.

"Thank you," she bowed her head bashfully. "One of a few dresses your sister picked out for me before she left. She would have totally enjoyed herself here tonight."

"Yes, she certainly would have," Elijah nodded.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to sway to the music until a familiar silky voice drew her attention.

"Pardon the intrusion, brother, but may I cut in?" Cassandra turned her head to the right and found Klaus standing beside her and Elijah.

"Of course," Elijah nodded and let go of her before stepping back.

"Thanks for the dance, Elijah," Cassandra smiled at him.

"It was my pleasure," he smiled back at her.

She turned back toward Klaus as he pulled her into his arms, holding her much closer than Elijah had.

"Well, hello," she chuckled as she wrapped her left arm around his neck and slipped her right hand into his. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to notice me tonight."

"Oh, sweetheart, I would _never_ not notice you," he whispered in a husky voice. "You look positively ravishing in that dress, by the way."

"Thank you," she grinned. She brought her lips to his ear and lowered her voice to a whisper. "If you play your cards right, there's a very good chance I'll let you help me get out of it later."

She leaned back to see his face and found his eyes glazing over in desire. For a moment she thought he might whisk her away then and there, but he quickly settled himself back down.

"Now that I will definitely be taking you up on," he gazed back at her, making her heart flutter.

She hated to end the moment, but she had something on her mind that she'd been dying to talk to him about. "So, I saw you on the balcony talking to that redhead. Elijah said she's a witch. You striking up your own deal with them or something?"

"Something like that, yes," Klaus nodded. When he didn't elaborate, she let out a soft sigh, but ultimately let it go for the time being. She'd press him about it later on.

"Right. Moving on. So—" A loud crash cut her off. They stopped moving and turned to see Oliver as he did a backwards summersault after being thrown into one of the tables by Diego, effectively smashing it to the ground. She blinked and barely managed to see Oliver pinning Diego against the wall before Elijah interceded and grabbed him and held his head down against the nearest table.

"Are you going to intervene?" Cassandra spoke in a hushed tone. Klaus remained perfectly relaxed as he moved his head back and forth. Cassandra let out a breath of air as she stepped back and folded her arms across her chest. He arched an eyebrow at her, as if to tell her to stay out of it, so she raised her eyebrows back at him. "Fine. If you won't, I will."

She marched over to where the fighting was and came to a stop next to the stairs a couple of feet away as Elijah turned his head to find Jackson pointing a wooden stake at Diego's chest.

"Oh, we'll end it all right," Jackson growled in a low voice as narrowed his eyes at Elijah.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Just kill him and get it over with," Cassandra called out, effectively surprising Elijah who snapped his head in her direction. She stepped towards him as she continued ranting. "It's not like he doesn't deserve it, right? He was the one who attacked Rebekah and handed her over to the witches so they could torture her. But then, Diego led that werewolf massacre last month. And, the witches cursed the wolves while the humans stood idly by, doing absolutely nothing. So when you think about it, everyone here deserves to die."

"Are you approaching a point?" He furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at her impatiently.

"Yes, and it's this…" she paused and began to address everyone in the courtyard. "If we can't all learn to get along, if our families can't create some sort of community, than what's the point? Kill each other and get it all over with."

Elijah blinked as her words sunk in. Heeding her words of wisdom, he released his hold on Oliver while Jackson slowly lowered his arm holding the wooden stake. With the mood of the party effectively tainted, everyone slowly began to file out of the compound until only the leaders of the different community groups remained. Cassandra turned around to make her way upstairs when a hand fell upon her shoulder, stopping her. She turned around and found herself facing Elijah.

"That was quite bold of you," he murmured. A tiny smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"If I am to raise my daughter in this city, the fighting has got to stop," she told him.

"I assure you, I will see to it that it does," he spoke firmly.

"Good," she nodded her approval. With nothing left to say, she made her way upstairs and found Klaus was once again in his art room. He was staring at his latest painting, the New Orleans skyline. Cassandra walked up and slid her arms around him from behind. "Are you upset with me for getting involved?"

"On the contrary, love," he chuckled, patting her arms. "I am amazed and quite proud of you. You would make quite the queen."

She laughed softly and turned her attention to his artwork. "So this is your latest masterpiece. It's beautiful."

"Mmm, it's missing something," he hummed while deep in thought. She let go of him as he reached for a paintbrush and dabbed the tip in a white-yellowish tint of paint. A few minutes later as he finished adding the final touches, Elijah walked into the room with a fancy piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a fountain pen. He set down the parchment, which Cassandra quickly realized was a signed treaty, and pulled the stopper out of the inkwell as he held the pen out to Klaus.

"Sign it," he ordered.

"Why?" Klaus asked, keeping his eyes glued to his painting. "You've already done so on our behalf."

"Brother, I'm not a fool," Elijah answered back. "It's clear to me you're not as disinterested as you'd like me to believe." He turned around and faced his younger brother with a cheeky, tightlipped smile. "Sign please."

Cassandra had to fight the urge to start laughing. She could tell from the expression on Klaus's face that Elijah had him pegged, and he was none too pleased about it.

"Oh yeah,' she nodded in agreement. "He definitely has a hidden agenda of some kind. He just won't reveal what it is."

"If there is no peace between us, then how can you expect others to follow suit?" Elijah continued on in a softer voice. He held the pen out again.

"Fine," Klaus sighed, tossing his paintbrush to the side before taking the pen from Elijah. "If it'll make you happy." He stepped over to the table and dipped the pen into the inkwell a few times before pressing it down on the parchment to scrawl out his signature. "But I assure you this city's inhabitants will not adhere to this agreement."

"Someone's being a negative nancy," Cassandra shook her head lightly.

"Agreed," Elijah nodded at her, an amused sparkle in his eye. When Klaus was finished signing the treaty, he set the pen down and returned to his painting. Elijah picked it up and held it out to Cassandra. "I'd like you to sign it too. It was your words that convinced everyone to finally come to an agreement on the terms. You deserve to be a part of it, too."

"Of course," she nodded and took the pen from him.

"I stand by what I said," Klaus muttered when she was done.

"Well, you are welcome to wager against me," Elijah picked up the parchment and stared at it. "You will lose."

The tone of his voice sent a shiver down Cassandra's spine. He always had a way with making threats in the most nonthreatening voice. She shook the feeling away as he walked out of the room and made her way back over to Klaus. Her lips curled into a smile as she gazed at his completed painting of the city skyline. He had added a giant full moon to the clear, midnight blue sky.

"I should have known," she chuckled softly.


	17. Failing To Keep The Peace

**Thank you guys for the continued love for this story. It means the world to me! I don't have a whole lot to say at the moment. Fair warning, this chapter gets a little intense towards the end. We're getting closer and closer to the end of the first season which means baby time. I can't wait! Hope you all enjoy! Happy reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 17 - Failing To Keep The Peace**

Cassandra let out a deep sigh as she slowly opened her eyes in the morning following the party. The bed sheets were tangled around her naked body as she lay curled up on her side, hugging her pillow. She blinked a few times as her vision adjusted and was surprised to find Klaus standing fully clothed in front of his easel with a paint brush in his hand.

"You're up early," she yawned as she turned her head up slightly to gaze at him. "After the night we had, I expected you to sleep in with me."

"Yes, well, morning sun offers the best light. Hold still," he turned and flashed her a grin as he set his painters pallet down on a small chest by the foot of the bed. "I'm almost finished."

"Oh my god...you...are you painting me?" Her cheeks turned pink as her eyes widened.

Klaus nodded his head. "I saw a moment I had to capture."

"Okay...why not use a camera? It's eons faster than painting." He lowered his hand holding his paintbrush and turned toward her arching his eyebrows at her. His message was received loud and clear. "Right. Of course. I don't know what I was thinking."

He chuckled softly as he resumed his painting, putting his final touches on his work of art. Cassandra lay still as he'd instructed her to until he set his paintbrush down, signaling he was finished. Eager to see the completed painting, she climbed out of bed, bringing the sheet with her and tightening it around her body as she walked over to him. Just as she reached the easel, he grabbed the canvas and quickly hid from her sight.

"Wha...you paint me nude, pregnant and nude, and now you aren't going to let me see it?" It was her turn to arch her eyebrows at him.

"Not quite yet," he murmured softly.

Cassandra rolled her eyes and turned around, walking over to the foot of the bed where she sat down on the edge of the mattress. "No one but you and me is ever allowed to see it. _No one."_

"Don't worry love," he walked over to her and pulled her back up to her feet and into his awaiting arms. "It is a gift for you and you alone."

"Good," she grinned as she slid an arm around his neck. He grinned back at her and leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. She sighed against his mouth as their tongues met in an eager dance. He carefully guided her back to the bed and was beginning to lower her back when a horribly loud sound coming from the courtyard completely killed their mood. "Oh you have to be kidding me."

"Better get dressed, love," Klaus let out a sigh as he helped her back onto her feet. Cassandra nodded and shuffled over to the dresser. She pulled out a pair of maternity jeans and a fitted three-quarter length sleeve deep purple top along with the necessary undergarments. She carried the items into the adjoining bathroom and reemerged a couple of minutes later fully clothed. After running a brush through her blonde hair she followed Klaus out of their room.

"Enough with all the racket!" He growled as they came to a stop in front of the balconies overlooking the courtyard.

"Wow," Cassandra stared at the many construction workers working on digging up the ground with jackhammers which explained the loud noise.

"Is there a problem, brother?" Elijah stared up at them from where he stood in the courtyard among the workers. He was dressed casually in a light brown long sleeve t-shirt and jeans. "Gentlemen, please," he spoke softly to the workers, politely asking them to give him a moment alone with Klaus and Cassandra.

"I agreed to a general sprucing up, not a bloody three-ring circus," Klaus groaned as he and Cassandra made their way down the stairs.

"Marcel and his minions abused our home for the better part of a century. Now, you might be content to live in squalor. I'm not," Elijah explained while he waited for them.

"So that's what's going on. Well, I have to agree. This place could definitely use a little help getting back to Mikaelson standards," Cassandra smiled at Elijah as she reachced the bottom of the stairs.

"I also agree with them," the redhead Cassandra had observed Klaus talking to at the party appeared beside them. She directed her next comment to Klaus. "It's a new era in the French Quarter. This place could use a makeover." She paused a beat and turned to Cassandra. "Hello. I'm sorry I was unable to make your acquaintance at the party. I'm Genevieve. And you are the lucky human pregnant with the hybrid baby."

"That's me," Cassandra smiled sheepishly. "You're one of the lucky ones brought back to life because of the Harvest."

"That's right," Genevieve nodded.

When Klaus reached his older brother, he placed a hand on his shoulder and began to guide him away from the stairs as he spoke in a hushed voice. "Careful, Elijah. When this one agrees with you, it's a sure sign she wants something."

While he continued on to the nearby bar to pour himself a drink, Cassandra stopped beside Elijah as Genevieve turned around to present her request.

"I'm told our coven hasn't been able to celebrate feast days in the open since Marcel restricted the use of magic," Genevieve explained. "Now with the new peace, I'd like that to change."

"Am I to assume that you have a certain feast day in mind?" Elijah asked, keeping a stone face.

Genevieve nodded. "La Fête des Bénêdictions." Elijah's lips curled into an amused smile as he folded his arms across his chest while Klaus let out a soft laugh. Cassandra eyed them curiously as Genevieve kept talking. "Feast of the blessings. In the past, members of the community offered witches gifts in exchange for blessings. We'd like to use it as a forum for introducing our young Harvest girls to society."

"So your coven attempted to destroy my family, and you yourself held my siblings in unspeakable torment. And you would like a party for the witches," He looked past her at Klaus who continued to chuckle as he brought a glass full of bourbon up to his lips.

"I've made my amends with your brother," Genevieve glanced briefly at Klaus for a moment before turning back to Elijah. "Why don't you think it over?"

She walked off, leaving the three of them in the courtyard. As soon as she was gone, Klaus walked back over to where Cassandra and Elijah stood.

"Oh don't be such a stiff, Elijah. The tourists love a good festival. Besides, what better way to cement the solidarity than a show of faith toward a one-time enemy?" Klaus tried to sway his brother into agreeing to Genevieve's request.

"I think it sounds dumb," Cassandra shrugged. "If I wanted to get a blessing from someone I'd go ask a priest, not a coven of witches. Then again, I'm not a native to the customs of this city so what do I know?"

"She makes a fair point," Elijah tilted his head slightly. Klaus scowled in protest.

"Well, while you two sort that out, I think I'll head out to the Bayou for a little while. I'm not in the mood to deal with witches or, to be honest, an annoyingly loud jackhammer."

The pair of brothers both nodded and watched as she made her way back upstairs to get her purse and a jacket before heading out in Klaus's car. Before pulling away, she sent Hayley a quick text to let her know she was coming out there.

The drive out of the city and into the back country roads was uneventful. When she reached the familiar turn off she was surprised to find there were a few cars already parked at the end of the dirt road. She found a spot to park Klaus's SUV and made her way into the swamp, recalling the route she'd gone with Hayley. She couldn't help smiling when the camp came into view and immediately scanned the area for her friend. It didn't take her long to spot Hayley standing on the front porch of a quaint little cabin with Eve, the same young woman that came with her to collect Celeste when she'd been possessing Sabine's body. Hayley locked eyes with her as Cassandra made her way over to her.

"What's with all the extra people milling about?" Cassandra asked after they'd hugged and went over to the porch where Eve was. Eve smiled and handed her a steamy cup of tea. "Thanks."

"They've come from all over," Even answered. "All the packs."

"Why?" Hayley asked. "To see a baby that isn't even born yet?"

"What?" Cassandra yelped in surprise. "They can't all be here because of my baby. No way."

The screen door to the cabin opened as Oliver came out and came to a stop beside them. "Forget the baby. These freaks, they came here to see you," he smiled at Hayley. "You know, given the place your parents held in pack hierarchy, maybe they think you're gonna be the long-lost werewolf messiah or something."

"Great," Hayley sighed sheepishly. "No pressure or anything."

"Could be worse," Cassandra shrugged as Oliver walked off to answer his ringing cell phone. "You could be pregnant with a one-of-kind magical hybrid baby."

"Heh, point taken," Hayley laughed lightly. "How many more weeks do you have left to go?"

"About six, give or take."

"Better start practicing your breathing techniques," Eve cracked a smile.

"Yeah," Cassandra nodded. "There's a lot to do, a lot of baby stuff I still need to get. I never did get to have that baby shower my sister wanted to throw me."

Sensing the sadness seeping into Cassandra's voice, Eve quickly switched back to the topic of the visiting wolves who continued to gawk at her. Cassandra flashed her a grateful smile as she continued to sip her cup of tea.

* * *

Genevieve stood inside the greenhouse at the school where the French Quarter youth practiced magic with the rest of the coven, listening as Monique Deveraux told her about the message she'd received from the ancestors. It wasn't a message Genevieve was thrilled to hear, but she did her best to remain calm and neutral about it.

"And who put you in charge?" She stared at Monique.

"I communed with the ancestors," Monique answered, maintaining a completely serious facial expression the entire time. "They said it's time for you to sacrifice yourself."

Genevieve smiled gave a soft laugh, acting completely tickled by the request. "Of course. It will be an honor to fulfill my duty to our coven. But it's not quite my time yet."

"The ancestors were very clear," Monique went on. "We need for you to die so our community can have the full power of the harvest."

"Careful, Monique," Genevieve warned the young girl as she took a few steps towards her. "Not so long ago, I was one of those ancestors. A spirit forced to watch as little by little, witches surrendered everything to vampires." She paused, turning her eyes to address the rest of the coven. "We may no longer live under Marcel's thumb, but I for one don't particularly enjoy answering to Elijah, either. Before I take my leave, I'd like to ensure that you have the power to control your own fate. The Mikaelsons' mother Esther was a powerful witch. Her spell book contains enchantments that we can use to our own ends. I can steal it for our own coven and we'll never be held in subjugation again," she met Monique's eyes again. "You'll have your sacrifice, but I have things to do before I die."

* * *

Cassandra was thoroughly enjoying herself as Eve told her and Hayley stories from when times had been good for the wolves. She'd become enthralled and lost track of the time, which was why she was baffled when Elijah showed up at the camp. He requested a meeting with Jackson, Oliver, Hayley, and insisted Cassandra be privy as well. She had a feeling he was about to tell them about the annoying party the witches wanted to have and couldn't wait to see what the werewolves had to say about it.

"Your people are uniquely poised to set an example for the rest of the French Quarter," Elijah began to explain once they'd found a secluded place to talk alone. "Which is why it's important for the wolves to attend."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Hayley shook her head.

"Let's hear the man out," Oliver sighed softly.

"The witches are the ones that cursed your pack," Cassandra chimed in. "And they've been nothing but crap to me since I first came to town. I'm with Hayley. No way do I think you guys should go to this thing," she paused and glanced up at Elijah. "I certainly don't want to go."

"It's a new day in the Quarter, Cassandra," Jackson eyed her. "I agree with Oliver. If we're gonna coexist, we have to play ball. We'll send a representative with a gift."

Cassandra sighed and shrugged her shoulders before turning around to walk back to the camp. After a few steps Elijah appeared in front of her. She was surprised to see a worried look in his eyes and raised her eyebrows curiously.

"That was too easy," he told her. He paused and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Don't trust him. Don't trust any of them."

As he turned around and walked off, Cassandra frowned as she looked back over at Jackson chatting softly with Oliver. She realized Elijah was right, that they _had_ agreed too quickly to his request. The question was why? She didn't yet know the answer, but she was determined to find out.

She quickly and quietly grabbed Hayley and got her to agree to find a quiet place where they could talk alone, away from Oliver and Jackson. Hayley led her inside the empty cabin where they sat down at a wooden table. Cassandra told her about Elijah's concerns, that Jackson and Oliver had agreed to the party much too quickly, and Hayley couldn't help but agree.

"Come on. If they are keeping secrets, I'm putting a stop to it. _Now._ " Hayley growled softly.

As they walked back outside, they found Oliver and Jackson standing on the front porch talking in hushed tones which ceased completely the moment Hayley and Cassandra appeared

"What is this? High school?" Cassandra scoffed, shaking her head.

"Why don't you take the hint and mind your own business," Oliver sneered at her.

Hayley grabbed him by the arms and spun him around, pinning him face first against the wall. "This is my pack. That makes it my business."

"Woah, no need to get all riled up, Hayley," Jackson tried to calm her down.

"I have tried to play nice," Hayley continued twisting Oliver's arm behind his back. "That stops now, so unless you want me to snap your arm like a twig, I suggest that you tell me and my friend Cassandra what is going on."

"You can go to hell," Oliver hissed.

"Knock it off," Jackson barked at Oliver in a low voice. "There's no reason to keep it from them."

"I can think of a reason not to tell Cassandra. Tall and immortal and wears a pocket scarf," he stared to step backwards from the wall, but Hayley simply shoved him back against it again."

"Hayley, you're one of us. You deserve to know," Jackson continued to speak in a calm voice. "And Cassandra, she may not be one of us, but we wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for her, so she deserves to know too, especially considering who else is involved."

"What the heck does that mean?" Cassandra eyed him skeptically.

"Hayley, come on," Jackson motioned for her to release Oliver. She glared at Oliver as she released him and turned around to face Jackson. "We made an alliance that's gonna change everything for the wolves."

"An alliance with who?" Hayley asked.

"Klaus," Jackson glanced from her to Cassandra.

"Tell us everything," Cassandra stepped forward and stood beside Hayley.

They listened intently as Jackson told them about the moonlight rings Klaus was promising them. Cassandra was floored to learn such a thing even existed, but if the vampires could have their daylight ring to walk freely in the sunlight, why not allow a werewolf a ring that allows them the ability to not have to turn on a full moon.

"I knew there was a reason he was aligning with one of the witches," Cassandra shook her head. "I don't trust her though. I don't trust any of them after the things they've put me through."

"What about Klaus?" Hayley wondered. "Is he really telling the truth about these rings?"

"I believe he is," Jackson nodded. "He showed me one of the rings at the party last night. All he has to do is figure out what stone will power it."

"Like lapis lazuli gemstones work for daylight rings," Cassandra realized. "I wonder what the equivalent is for moonlight rings. Well, if anyone can figure that out, it's Klaus."

"Alright, well, now that we have that out in the open, which of us is going to go to the stupid witch party?" Haley wanted to know.

"Well, I was going to nominate you," Jackson shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh no," Hayley held up her hands defensively. "I'm not going to that thing. No way. You were so quick to agree to it. Why don't you go? You're the alpha anyway."

"Or, as the Alpha, I could just order you to go," Jackson smirked at her.

"I'm good with that," Oliver cracked a grin.

"Of course you are," Hayley rolled her eyes. She let out a sigh as she folded her arms across her chest. "Okay, here's another idea. What if Cassandra went as our rep?"

"Me?" Cassandra squeaked. "But..I'm not a member of the pack."

Jackson looked from Hayley to Cassandra. "You're like…an honorary member. And you know what? I'm with Hayley. I'd like you to represent us."

"Please say you'll do it, Cassandra," Hayley pleaded with her eyes.

"Well, I…if you guys are sure, yeah, I'll represent you," Cassandra agreed to their request. She was blown away that they'd asked her to do this and knew there was no other answer to give. With that decided, Hayley and Cassandra headed back to town to pick out a gift to give one of the witches at the party the following night.

-o-

Cassandra ran her hands along the smooth fabric of her long black dress while she stood along the street watching the parade celebrating the Harvest Girls pass by. She figured the first of the three girls being carried in raised chairs was the niece of the late Sophie Deveraux. She didn't recognize the second girl, and of course Davina rounded out the group in the back. Though she didn't trust the witches, she did still have a soft spot for the young witch that had once been Marcel's secret weapon, and was excited to see her again and present her with the small gift she and Hayley had picked out. She was amazed at the masses that had turned out for the celebration. She still thought it was pretty dumb, but she wasn't about to let down the wolves after they'd chosen her to go in their place.

When the parade reached the end of the street where a huge stage had been set up, the people hoisting the girls up in chairs lowered them to the ground so they could make their way onto the stage where Genevieve stood waiting to address the crowd. Cassandra folded her lace long-sleeve covered arms across her chest as she waited for the ceremony preceding the party to begin.

"And now, in accordance with the Fête des Bénêdictions, the witches of New Orleans bless you all," Genevieve smiled at the crowd.

As she stepped off the stage, Monique stepped forward and raised her hands as she cast a spell, creating a mild earthquake that made the ground below the street rumble. After a few seconds the spell ended and she stepped to the side to allow the next girl to come forward. The second Harvest Girl, a young blonde named Abigail, raised her hands and cast a spell creating a strong gust of wind that made everything flap around. When she was done, Davina turned around and raised her hand at a board that had been set up behind them. She set off an explosion of smoke and sparks that set off a stream of fireworks into the sky as the board lit up to reveal a fluer-de-lis symbol. The crowd went wild over the show of power, cheering loudly.

Cassandra played with the curled ends of her side ponytail as she watched the witches exited the stage and made their way inside the gates leading to the building where the Feast of Blessings was to take place. This was where everyone presented their gifts to the witches. Cassandra, of course, was planning to give the werewolves' gift to Davina. Once they were all inside, she made her way to the gate and came to a stop as Elijah came into view. He had been waiting at the entrance to welcome the witches.

"Strange, I thought you'd be in the company of your colorful friends," he grinned at her.

"Oh. Well, you asked for a representative for the werewolves. They chose me, so, take me or leave me," she gave him a slight shake of her head, almost daring him to continue sassing her. "Where's your brother? I haven't seen him anywhere."

"Oh, I'm sure he's around here somewhere. I trust he'll find you sooner or later. Shall we?" He held out his arm. Cassandra nodded and slowly slid her arm around his while she gripped the small wrapped gift in her other hand. They made their way inside and headed down a grand staircase. She was quick to stop Davina at the front of the room talking animatedly to some guests. "Davina seems to be adjusting well. That's good, at least."

"Yes, it is," Elijah agreed.

They came to a stop a few feet away from where the three witches were to be seated so they could be presented with their gifts and offer blessings in return. Genevieve appeared before the crowd in the room and clanked a knife on a champagne flute to get everyone's attention.

"Welcome. As is our time-honored tradition, you are all welcome to deliver your offerings," Genevieve smiled at the audience. "It is our custom that no one should be turned away, no blessing be denied."

She walked off to the side as the Harvest Girls took their seats. Elijah nodded at Cassandra to go ahead and give her gift. She nodded and began to walk over to them and smiled at Davina as she stopped in front of her to give her the gift she brought. Before she could hand it over, a nearby witch grabbed her arm and directed her towards Monique. Cassandra sighed and flashed Davina an apologetic smile as she walked farther down the line and set the gift down at Monique's feet. She placed a hand on her baby bump as she turned around and walked back over to Elijah.

She found him holding a glass of champagne and stared at it longingly. "The only downside to being pregnant….all the fun drinks I have to pass on."

"You still get your coffee," Elijah flashed her a grin.

"So not the same thing," she shook her head.

"Perhaps not," he chuckled as he took a sip of his drink. "Come. Let's find you something you _can_ have."

She nodded and walked beside him as they wandered around the party. It didn't take long to locate a tray of glasses filled with sparkling cider. Elijah grabbed a glassed and passed it to her. She thanked him and brought it to her lips, taking a sip.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please," Klaus's voice rang out above the crowd. Cassandra and Elijah stared in surprise at Klaus who stood on the grand staircase five steps up with a cowering Josh and angry Davina t the bottom step.

"What is he doing?" Cassandra whispered to Elijah.

"I can assure you, I have no idea," he whispered back.

"We are gathered here today to pay homage to our beloved witches, but one very special witch has been utterly ignored. That seems a little unfair to me," He slowly descended the steps and came to a stop in front of Davina. He pulled a small black box tied with a purple ribbon out of his pocket and held it out to her.

"No," Davina shook her head as she glared at him. "I don't want your gift."

"I understand why you would reject me given our past. "In truth," he shoved the tiny present back into his pocket and turned toward the crowd. "Many of us here today have been wronged in the conflict which my brother's treaty ended." He then turned back to Davina. "Your friend Josh was involved in a plot to kill me. It would be well within my right to execute him here and now. But, in the spirit of solidarity, and for your favor, Davina, I hereby pardon him. Josh, from this day forward, you have nothing to fear from me." He pulled the gift back out and held it out to Davina again. "Please."

She slowly reached out and took it, unsure if she could really believe he had just pardoned her best friend. Cassandra met Elijah's eyes, both of them floored over what they had just witnessed. Cassandra took a few more sips from her glass before setting it on a nearby table and began to wander around searching for Klaus who had quickly walked away from the stairs. She had a strong feeling she wouldn't have to look long. Sure enough, a moment later the familiar scent of his earthy cologne floated past her nose as a strong arm slid around her waist.

"I hear you made quite the impression with the wolves," Klaus murmured in her ear.

"Guess I did," she slowly raised her head to meet his eyes.

"My arrangement with them was supposed to be a secret, and yet you and your annoying friend Hayley forced it out of them. It was very bold, as was their decision to appoint you to represent them here, today. They trust you and have accepted you as though you were one of their own. That is very good, though I trust you and Hayley will do nothing to harm our cause."

"Are you really going to behind Elijah's back?" She arched an eyebrow at him.

"Come on. What difference does it make to you as long as your friends benefit? Hmm?"

"If I find out that you are playing some twisted game or trying to manipulate them for one of your crazy schemes—"

"Relax, love," he reached out with his other hand and brushed the side of her face with the back of his fingers. "Everything I do, I do for the benefit of our family. No games, no schemes. You have my word."

"Oh. Well, good." She let out a small breath and relaxed her face, smiling at him. "What you did for Davina and Josh, that was amazing. I'm glad you gave her something. I was really starting to feel for her having to sit there watching while the other two got all the presents."

"Mmmm, yes. That was something that most certainly needed dealing with. I trust she and Josh will be quite pleased with what I gave her."

"Which was?"

"The spell to make a daylight ring, and a ring to cast said spell for Joshua," he grinned at her.

"Oh wow. That's incredibly generous of you," she grinned back at him.

"I'm a very generous person."

"Only when you really want to be."

"Hey. That's not—"

He was cut off by the loud sound of drumming as a group of African drummers dressed in white suits descended the stairs while they played. When they reached the bottom they formed two lines and ended their beats with a loud bang.

"Happy Fête de Bénêdictions," the lead drummer spoke in a loud, booming voice. "We have a message for all of you from Marcel Gerard."

"Oh no," Cassandra squeaked as Klaus's arm tensed around her.

She flinched as each drummer pulled out a pocket knife and held it up as they flipped up the blade. The crowd gasped as the drummers brought the blades to their wrist and sliced open their skin.

"Stay close to me," Klaus whispered in her ear as some of the vampires in the room bared their fangs at the scent of fresh blood. Elijah slowly walked out and stood in front of the drummers.

"Control yourselves," he ordered the vampires in the crowd. "This is a vulgar trick. We do not violate our agreement!"

The lights were shut off, sending the entire room into a sea of sudden darkness. Screams erupted all around. Cassandra tried to hold onto Klaus, but somewhere in the chaos they became separated and she was knocked to the ground. She felt a searing pain in the front of her head and could feel something wet trickling down her forehead. A few long moments later, the lights came back on.

"Klaus? Elijah?" Cassandra called out as she slowly lifted her head.

"Cassandra!" Elijah was the first to get to her. He quickly helped her off of the floor and back onto her feet. "It's alright."

Her lips parted in shock as she stared at the dozens of dead bodies on the floor all around her. Then her eyes landed on the far wall where a message had been written in blood. _There will be no peace_.

"Cassandra, are you alright, love?" Klaus appeared at her side and turned her head toward him.

"Yeah, just a bump on the head," she nodded. "I..I can't believe Marcel would…"

"I can," Klaus sighed as he wiped away the blood on her forehead with a cloth napkin. "Come. Let's get you home. Brother, see to it that Marcel pays for this."

"I will," Elijah nodded.

Klaus shrugged off his black suit jacket and draped it over Cassandra's shoulders before ushering her up the stairs and back out to the street. The walk to the compound wasn't very far, just a few blocks over. She held the jacket tightly around her body as Klaus guided her down the street. The cool night air was refreshing and had a calming effect.

"Is Elijah going to kill Marcel?" She murmured as they walked.

"No. Death would be far too easy. Marcel will suffer for his sins," Klaus answered. "That is all you need to know."

She nodded silently, deciding it was better to leave it alone. She didn't want to know any more details. When they reached the compound he guided her upstairs to the parlor and sat her down in one of the large easy chairs.

"I just need to run out and take care of one last thing. I shall be back shortly," he kissed the top of her head and disappeared from the room.

She rose a couple of moments later and retrieved her phone from the bedroom. She dialed Hayley's number as she returned to the big chair in the parlor and tucked her legs under her.

"Oh my god, wait til you hear what happened tonight," she spoke in a rush of words once Hayley answered the phone. Over the next several minutes she recounted the night's events to Hayley and Jackson after Hayley had gone to get him and switched to speaker phone. "At first I was against your plan. I thought Elijah's treaty was a good thing, and I hated the idea of going behind his back, but after that party, those innocent people, there will never be a peace. The weak will always be at the mercy of whoever is calling the shots."

"It's survival of the fittest," Jackson answered in a somber voice. "We need to protect ourselves, and each other. And you and your baby, Cassandra. If the city is too dangerous for you, you're more than welcome to come stay here with us."

"I appreciate that, Jackson. I'll keep that in mind," Cassandra was surprised, but extremely grateful for the offer. "Look, I think you guys still need Klaus's help while he's still willing to give it, but, from now on, I need you to keep me in the loop and tell me everything. While I trust Klaus, he has a habit of only telling me his plans on a need-to-know basis. Do not read into that. It's his way of protecting me. Anyway, I can't help you if I'm left out of the loop."

"We won't keep anything from you, we promise," Hayley reassured her.

"Good. Thank you," Cassandra sighed in relief.

They spoke for a little while longer before hanging up. Cassandra ran her hand along her round baby bump with her free hand as she lowered her arm and rested it on the arm of the couch, clutching her cell phone in her hand. Klaus walked in a moment later and took a seat on the edge of the coffee table directly in front of her. He reached for her free hand and took it in his.

"I need to apologize. I've made a terrible mistake," he murmured softly.

Cassandra tilted her head as she eyed him, a look of worry and confusion on her face. "Oh..kay."

"Your friend Cami went to Genevieve for help with her uncle after my suggesting it to her. Genevieve was moved by her plea, and I believe she may have even cured him. But then, after a series of different events tonight, I insulted her. And as a means of revenge, she is refusing him aid. Kieran will die because of me, and it will be a horrible death. You need to go to your friend in the coming days. She's going to need your support to get through this."

"Oh my god," Cassandra let out a soft gasp. She dropped her phone into her lap and leaned forward, pressing her empty hand against the side of his face. "Thank you for telling me. Of course I'll be there for her."

"Just do me a huge favor and stay far, far away from the attic at the church. Kieran is extremely unstable, and even though there is a boundary spell in place, I do not want you anywhere near him," Klaus spoke sternly.

Cassandra nodded her head. "I'll keep my distance, I promise."

* * *

"You failed us," Monique stood facing Genevieve in a candlelit mausoleum in Lafayette Cemetery later that night.

"I told you, it will take time," Genevieve tried to reason with the younger witch.

"Do you think the ancestors care about your excuses?" Monique challenged her. "The vampires attacked us. We can't retaliate until we possess our full strength. Your sacrifice is the final step."

She picked up the Harvest athame from a nearby table as Genevieve looked on with worry filled eyes. She began to shake her head, the started to gasp as Monique raised a hand and began to cast a spell to overpower her. She groaned in pain as she fell to her knees. Monique glared at her, then let out a loud gasp as she became possessed by the ancestors.

" _Nous concedumus sa vie a Genevieve. Si elle hecatage a filia de Mikaelson,"_ she spoke aloud in a trance-like voice. She gave a second loud gasp as the ancestors left her.

"What are they saying?" Genevieve stared up at her.

"They told me to let you live," Monique answered. Genevieve let out a relieved breath of air. "But in exchange, they want another offering. One of their choosing."

"Tell me. Whatever it is, whatever they want, I will make sure they get it. I swear it."

"It's the child. They want us to kill Klaus's child."


	18. Finding Clarity Amidst The Chaos

**Hey guys. I am so sorry about the longer than usual wait. Life got a little busy for a while, but now I'm back with a juicy chapter for you. We are getting a lot closer to the end of season one now. Oh my gosh, who's watching the newest season of the Originals? It's sooooooo good! I'm so excited about fitting Cassandra into it in the next installment of this saga (yes, there's gonna be a part three!). It's going to be fantastic! Anyway, I want to thank you guys for being so patient and for sticking with me. You are the best. Enjoy this tasty chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 18 - Finding Clarity Amidst the Chaos**

Klaus stood facing one of the massive bookshelves in the lounge, throwing books over his shoulder and causing quite a loud ruckus as he searched for something. Elijah came walking into the room with a glass in his hand after being attracted by the obnoxiously loud slams of books landing on the floor and watched his younger brother with a curious sparkle in his eyes.

"Can I help you find something?" Elijah asked as he took a sip from his glass.

"Yes. In fact I believe you can. I'm looking for a book," Klaus lifted his head and turned it to the side to acknowledge his brother. He stepped over to the adjacent bookshelf where he pulled out a brown leather book and held it up. "About yay big filled with our mother's most powerful spells. It appears to have been misplaced."

As he listened, Elijah made his way over to the desk and sat down. "How very mysterious," he hummed as he opened a ledger and picked up a pen, removing the cap so he could begin writing.

"Indeed." Klaus nodded. He continued to search the bookshelves as he spoke. " At first, I feared the witches had succeeded in their efforts to obtain it, but considering their last attempt ended with me relieving a rather large, tattooed gentleman of his hands, I began to wonder if the thief wasn't a bit closer to home." He slowly turned around to face Elijah. Elijah briefly looked up and met his eyes, then returned to his writing. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be, brother."

Elijah let out a breath as he lifted his head and began to twirl his pen around in his hand. "Well, admittedly, I did have a theory that your sudden interest in mother's grimoire was in some way related to whatever foolishness you've been conducting with the Crescent Wolves. Therefore, I took it upon myself to carefully place it where naughty little fingers could not pry."

"And here I thought you, of all people, would understand, I am simply trying to help those wolves," Klaus stared back at Elijah with the hint of a tiny, smug smile tugging at the corner of his lips. As he continued to make his point, he walked over to the desk where Elijah sat and came to a stop in front of it. "Play samaritan to the abused, champion to the underdog, so to speak."

"How splendidly noble of you," Elijah murmured with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Have you ever considered that, like you, I am trying to keep Cassandra safe, using our mother's magic to empower her new friends so they are capable of protecting her and my child?" Klaus wanted to know.

Elijah stood up and walked around the desk over to the messy bookshelves and began picking up the books Klaus had tossed on the floor to place them back where they belonged. "Yes, unless, of course, they decide to seek retribution for decades held in exile, and Cassandra will find herself in the middle of an uprising, one that will only provoke further violence. You see, you risk turning New Orleans into a war zone, brother. I won't let that happen."

"The drums of war were beating long before we returned. I suggest you use a little less of this," he made a talking gesture with his hand. "And a little more of these," he pointed at his ears. He turned around and sat down on the couch with a heavy, frustrated sigh. Finding his mother's spell book just got a whole lot harder.

* * *

"Okay, take another deep breath in," Eve instructed Cassandra who sat propped up against a bunch of pillows on the floor in Eve's little shack out in the Bayou. After learning how unprepared Cassandra was for the birthing process, she offered to help her with some proper breathing exercises. "That's it. Inhale and release."

Cassandra nodded as she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Guess I can forget about doing this in a hospital with trained doctors and their wonderful epidurals."

"Oh, I'm sure Klaus will compel the best doctor to come deliver your baby at the compound when it's time," Hayley gave her a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, he probably will," Cassandra smiled back as she rubbed her bulging stomach. "Kinda wish I had more time. I still feel really unprepared and..I don't know...still not quite ready, I guess"

"Honey, you're going to be just fine, and a great mother," Eve placed a hand lightly on Cassandra's arm. "Hayley told me a little bit about your mom and sister. Sounds like you had a pretty good upbringing. Trust me, you've got absolutely nothing to worry about."

"I hope so. I'll have to get pictures of Klaus changing dirty diapers. No way will anyone believe it without seeing it," she chuckled.

"Oh hell yes," Hayley laughed in agreement.

Cassandra was still laughing when she looked over at the open front door as Elijah appeared. "Elijah. What are you doing here?" She blinked in surprise as she, Eve, and Hayley fell silent.

"Pardon the interruption. I wonder if I might have a quick word with the conspirators of a supposed uprising," he spoke in a soft voice.

Cassandra turned to Eve and Hayley who were wearing the same perplexed expression on their faces that she was. Nodding, they quickly stood up and helped Cassandra up off the floor and onto her feet. She followed Hayley outside and headed over to the old farm house while Hayley went to fetch Jackson and Oliver. She stood off to the side facing Elijah as the trio of werewolves came into the barn and came to a stop beside her.

"You're making a grave mistake," Elijah told them as he unwrapped the scarf from around his neck while he walked towards them and dropped it on a nearby chair..

Oliver stole a glance at his Alpha while he let out a quiet laugh. "So you're just worried about us. Is that it?"

Oliver kept a straight face as he spoke in a low voice while Elijah unfastened the buttons on his coat and draped it over the back of the same chair. "Look, Elijah We know all about your brothers reputation, but if there is even a chance that these rings can help us take control of our curse—"

"Our gift," Oliver interjected.

"Then, honestly, we don't care what he's really after," Jackson finished. "Won't have to."

"I see," Elijah slipped his hand into his pocket. "Well, there are those in the Quarter who will consider this a great provocation."

"Apparently, most of them see us breathing the same way," Oliver tilted his head, countering Elijah's claim.

Elijah's lips parted slightly as he blinked and turned his gaze onto Cassandra. She'd been standing with her arms folded across her chest and pressed her lips together as she met his eyes.

"You signed a pledge, and you looked me in the eye as you did so," Elijah murmured.

"Elijah, I—" Cassandra began to speak.

"We don't want a fight," Hayley jumped in. "We just want a better life."

"Allegiance with my brother will guarantee anything but that," Elijah turned his head towards her.

"You don't know that, Elij—" Cassandra's words were cut off by the loud sound of an approaching motorcycle.

"What the hell?" Jackson turned his head toward the oncoming sound. He walked over to the barn door and pushed it open. Elijah was hot on his heels as he headed outside to investigate. Oliver, Hayley and Cassandra scurried after them. They passed by an old trailer parked beside the barn as a man on an old, dirty motorcycle came down an small incline and rolled to a stop a few yards away from Jackson.

"Which one of you is in charge?" The man asked, eyeing Jackson and the others.

"Who's asking?" Jackson asked the man as he stepped forward.

Elijah tightened his jaw as he observed the mysterious stranger and his bike. The man met his eyes and moved the side of his mouth upwards in a tiny half smirk. In that moment, Elijah knew something wasn't right. He whooshed toward the man and grabbed him as his bike exploded with a horrific boom.

The force of the explosion sent everyone flying backwards as loud screams erupted. Cassandra slowly pushed herself up with her arms after being thrown back onto her side. She slowly looked around and found Hayley and Oliver beside her.

"Cassandra, you okay?" Oliver asked. His voice sounded muffled, which Cassandra realized it had to do with the explosion affecting her ears.

She nodded and quickly scrambled to her feet. She looked around and surveyed the area as she regained her bearings and waited for her ears to stop ringing. Her eyes landed on a member of the pack, a man, laying on the ground, moaning and gasping for breath. He was reaching his hand up to a young boy that couldn't have been more than five or six years old. Without thinking, Cassandra ran over to them.

"It's okay. Here. Come here," Cassandra beckoned the child, scooping him up into her arms. She looked around and spotted Hayley walking towards her. "Hayley!"

"Oh god," Hayley murmured as she approached them. She turned and called out to Jackson who was walking in their direction with blood on his hands from a gash on the back of his head. She motioned at the child in Cassandra's arms. "Here. Get him away from here."

"Come on," Jackson took him from Cassandra and walked off toward the barn.

"Cassandra," Elijah appeared and placed a protective hand on her arm.

"Elijah," Cassandra sighed in relief. She followed him and Hayley to examine the injured man watching as Elijah slowly lifted his shirt. Cassandra's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the bloody, burned wound. "Oh my god."

"Wolfsbane," Elijah glanced from Hayley to Cassandra.

"It must have been in the gas tank," Cassandra murmured softly. "Elijah, you're the fastest. Please, you have to help him and anyone else who can't walk on their own."

"To the barn" Hayley added. Elijah nodded and carefully helped the injured man up to his feet. He turned toward Cassandra, hesitant to leave her.

"It's okay, Elijah. I'm fine," Cassandra gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "I promise. They need your help."

He nodded and led the man away. Cassandra turned and walked off with Hayley to see who else needed tending too. They spotted Oliver and Eve tending to a young woman who had been impaled in the leg by a piece of wood. Sensing what Oliver was about to do, Hayley took off running towards them.

"Oliver, no!" She yelled as she dropped to her knees beside the woman moaning in pain whose leg was now bleeding profusely. Cassandra watched in amazement as Hayley used Oliver's shirt to make a tourniquet around the woman's thigh to stop the bleeding.

"Where'd you learn how to do that?" Eve stared at Hayley, asking the very question Cassandra had been thinking.

"You get a hell of an education when you leave home at thirteen." She answered as she finished tightening the knot she'd made. "There. That should slow the bleeding at least until the healing kicks in."

Oliver helped the woman up and Eve carefully guided her towards the barn. Fueled with anger, Oliver let out a loud, guttural yell as he pushed over a wooden chair. "The vampires. They don't even have the guts to do their own dirty work themselves. I mean, why bother when you can just compel some poor son of a bitch to do it for you? I say we hit them back! Hard."

 _Oh my god!_ Cassandra's eyes widened slightly. _Should have realized that sooner. Of course vampires are behind this. More specifically, one who was banned from the Quarter._ She knew she needed to talk to him before saying anything to Elijah. With her mind made up, she turned around and began to walk towards where her car was parked.

"Where the hell are you going?" Oliver called out to her.

Cassandra stopped and spun around to face him and Hayley. "If this was vampires, I'm pretty sure I can guess who gave the order. I'm gonna go find Marcel."

"I'm coming with you," Hayley decided. She knelt down and picked up a long branch which she snapped in half by whacking it against the top of her leg. She held one of the smaller pieces with a pointy tip in her hand as she eyed Oliver. "Stay here, Oliver. I need you to look after everyone until I get back."

She quickly caught up to Cassandra and fell into step beside her as they walked to Cassandra's car. When they reached the road where the car was parked, Cassandra climbed into the driver's seat while Hayley went around to the passenger side.

"Thanks for coming with me," Cassandra flashed her friend a grateful smile. "I don't actually know where Marcel is, but I know who does, and you just tipped the scales to our side in being able to obtain that information."

"You need me to kick some vampire ass to get his location?" Hayley arched her eyebrows.

"That's exactly what I need," Cassandra nodded. "Specifically, Diego's ass."

"Oh, consider it done," Hayley smirked.

"Good." Cassandra let out a deep breath. "There's just one more thing I need to do."

She grabbed her phone from the center console and used her thumb to bring the screen to life so she could tap Elijah's name to call him.

"Cassandra," he answered after one ring.

"I have to take care of something. I'll be back as soon as I can," she told him in a calm voice.

"Where are you?"

"Elijah, I'm fine. I'm with Hayley. Just take care of the pack for us while we're gone, please?"

She ended the call before he could say anything else and placed her phone in the one of the car's cup holders as she let out a soft sigh. For the remainder of the drive back to the city, she and Hayley went over their plan to find out Marcel's whereabouts from Diego.

When they turned onto Bourbon Street a little while later, Cassandra parked the car along the street a few doors down from a club she knew the vampires frequented. They quickly climbed out of the car and marched down to the club entrance. Cassandra took a deep breath as she reached for the handle and slowly pulled it open. The room was dimly lit and took her eyes a few blinks to fully adjust. She could feel the eyes of every vampire watching her and Hayley as they walked past them to where Diego set in a chair with his feet propped up on a table.

He let out a chuckle as she approached him. "You have got some nerve coming up in here, mama."

Cassandra kicked his chair as hard as she could, sending him tumbling backwards. "Guess it's a good thing I didn't come alone then," she hissed as Diego jumped up onto his feet with a snarl. Hayley flew forward and slammed the stake she'd been holding into his chest as she pushed him back against the wall.

"Someone attacked my pack in the Bayou this morning, and," she turned to eye the rest of the vampires in the room. "since I don't see any genius mastermind types around here," she turned back to Diego and pressed the stake into his chest more, making him grunt in pain. "Why don't you just tell me where Marcel is, and we can both get on with our day, huh?"

Diego tightened his jaw and remained silent. Hayley pushed harder against the stake and moved her face within inches of his.

"You think I'm playing?" She hissed in a low voice. "There were families out there."

"He used to keep a place," Diego sighed. "Nineteen-seventeen Patterson. If he's still around, he'll be there."

Satisfied with the answer, Hayley removed the stake and led the way back out to the street. On their way back to the car, Cassandra punched the new address into her phone and looked at the route. It was only a fifteen minute drive there and just a mere three miles outside the Quarter and across the Mississippi River. She handed Hayley her phone before climbing into the car so she could see where they were headed.

"Did I mention how glad I am that you came with me?" Cassandra flashed her a smile as she clicked her seat belt into the buckle and started the car. "Because there is no way I'd have been able to get Marcel's address out of Diego by myself."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that much. Plus, I'd rather not piss off Klaus by letting you go off after vampires alone, and it is my pack that was attacked in the bayou after all. You did pretty well kicking Diego's chair though," Hayley grinned. "I could tell from the look on his face he didn't expect that out of you. None of them did."

"Oh. Well, that's something."

When they arrived at the address Diego had given them fifteen minutes later, they found themselves standing outside a large, rundown brick building. Before going inside, Cassandra figured it was time to bring Klaus in on the situation, and Hayley reluctantly agreed. As they walked around the structure looking for the entrance, Cassandra dialed Klaus's number and pressed her phone against her ear.

"Cassandra" he answered after two rings. "Now is not really a good—"

"Klaus, where are you?" Cassandra cut him off. She could hear another voice in the background mumbling something in the background, but it was too muffled to understand.

"I'm in a bit of a situation here, love. It's Father Kieran, Cami's uncle. He's deteriorating at a rather rapid pace."

"Oh my god. I'll make this quick then. Somebody sent a suicide bomber out to the Bayou this morning."

"What? Where are you?"

"I'm in the city now. I'm fine. I promise.," Cassandra did her best to reassure him before moving on. "I figured an attack like that must have been Marcel. He's hated the wolves for years, and after that stunt he pulled with the witches—so I tracked him down. Thought you might want to kick his ass for trying to blow us to kingdom come."

"Hey, listen," Klaus spoke in a low voice. "I assure you, once I am finished here, you will have my undivided attention. In the meantime, please stay out of trouble."

"You don't have to worry," Cassandra paused and glanced away from Hayley. "Elijah is with me."

She ended the call and shoved her phone into her pocket before turning back toward Hayley. She hated lying to Klaus, but she knew she had no choice. She didn't want him to worry about her while he was helping Cami with her Uncle. _He can be mad at me for lying later…if he finds out about it._

"Alright," she let out a breath as they approached a door with a long, wooden board covering the glass panel. "Let's do this. I'll go first since he knows me."

"I'll wait around the corner," Hayley nodded. She held out the stake in her hand. "Take this. You'll appear more intimidating."

Cassandra took it from her and gripped it tightly in her hand as she pulled the door open. Hayley followed behind her as they headed up the stairs. When they reached the top, they came to a stop outside a doorway leading into the main room. Hayley remained just outside as Cassandra headed in. The first thing she saw was a big, light brown easy chair. She could see the edge of a dark grey, sleeve covered elbow resting against the arm of the chair and realized Marcel must be sitting in it. She swallowed and gripped the stake in her hand as she slowly raised it up in front of her.

"Come on in," She heard Marcel's voice before she saw him stand up and turn around to face her, holding a glass of bourbon in his hand. "Have a seat. I'd offer you a drink, but…" he motioned at her stomach as he turned back around and started to walk over to the bar set up in the far corner of the room.

"Nice place," she murmured, glancing around. Despite the run down look of the brick walls, he'd managed to find some incredibly tasteful pieces of furniture to make up for it.

"Oh, it's just temporary. Friend hooked me up. Believe it or not, I still got a few of those kicking around," he cracked a smile before turning around to refill his glass. "I need friends to keep me informed, to warn me when someone is coming looking to blame me for things that I didn't do." With a full glass, he walked back over to her. "You didn't have to have your friend work Diego like that. You and I are long overdue for a chat."

"You want to talk? Talk," she carefully watched him as he sat down on one side of a leather couch.

"Tough girl. Far tougher than I ever gave you credit for. I can see why the wolves have taken you in as one of their own. If you knew them like I did, you'd know just how many enemies they have. Back in the nineties, it was the Crescent Wolves who took over the city. Or tried to. They lived to throw down, and they were good at it, too. They didn't care who they killed, as long as they got more power."

"So the crescent curse was your way of stopping them? How heroic."

"It was either that or kill them all, and I'm not big on indiscriminate slaughter," he stood up from the couch and walked back over to the bar to add a little more liquor to his glass. "See, I have this thing about kids."

"So, I've heard," Cassandra murmured, a hint of boredom in her voice.

"Oh, you've done more than hear about it," he moved toward her. "Your friend waiting right outside, Hayley, or should I call her Andrea Labonair, she's living proof."

"How long have you known who I am?" Hayley walked into the room. She came to a stop beside Cassandra and folded her arms across her chest as she stared at Marcel.

"When I learned that the Crescent Wolves saved Cassandra, of course I wondered why. Why would they care what happens to her and her hybrid baby? I did some digging around which led me to her connection to you, this mysterious werewolf that showed up in my city. Did some more digging, this time into you, and eventually put it all together. "

"Tell me something, Marcel," Hayley whispered, eyeing him warily. "Did you kill my parents?"

"There was infighting among the wolves. Your folks were laying low. Somebody turned on them. I honestly don't know who. I got there afterwards, found you in your crib," he answered in a low voice.

Cassandra lowered the stake in her hand and placed her free and on Hayley's arm, giving her a comforting squeeze as she glared at Marcel.

"Give me one good reason why I should believe anything that you have to say," Hayley hissed.

"Believe whatever you want," he shrugged lightly. "But you were the last Labonair. I mean, could've been a lot of leverage for our side, but instead, I took you to Father Kieran."

"Cami's uncle," Cassandra whispered.

"Yeah," Marcel nodded. He turned and reached down to pick up a black duffle bag that was on the floor next to the couch and tossed it onto the coffee table near where Cassandra stood.

"What's that?" Cassandra eyed him, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Money mostly, stuff you need to start over someplace safe with your baby," he took a seat on the arm of the couch and looked at both girls with serious eyes. "Whatever happened in the Bayou, I'm not your guy. But the way things are going, eventually, I might have to be."

Cassandra rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly as she sat down on the couch. "So this is your grand plan—get me out of town, and Klaus and Elijah follow closely behind?"

Marcel let out a soft laugh. "I can't say that wouldn't be a positive side effect."

"So why don't you leave? Follow your own advice?" Cassandra argued back.

"I was born here, Cassandra," he murmured.

"Right," Cassandra sighed as she nodded her head. "And I wasn't."

"Then take my offer," he pulled the duffle bag closer to her. "Use what I'm giving you to get out of this place and make a life for yourself and your daughter somewhere far from the chaos that is New Orleans. Would it really be a bad thing if Klaus and Elijah followed you? You'd still be together. Isn't that what matters most?"

Cassandra shook her head and rose to her feet. "Not gonna happen, Marcel. New Orleans is just as much their home, and mine, as it is yours. Thanks, but no thanks."

She followed Hayley towards the door, when Marcel's voice forced them to stop and turn back toward him. "The guy on the bike, the bomber, word is he had a gambling problem, owed money to the casinos, more importantly to the humans who run them. And Cassandra, when things get bad, remember, I tried to get you clear of it."

She gave the smallest nod of her head before turning toward the door and made her way out with Hayley. They didn't stop until they were back in the car. Before driving they took a few minutes to process what they had learned from Marcel. Cassandra wanted to know more about the humans who ran the casinos, so she pulled out her phone and did a quick internet search.

"So the owner of the most notable casino in the city, the Pacific Royale, is Francesca Correa," Cassandra read from her phone.

"She signed Elijah's treaty," Hayley met Cassandra's eyes. "As a representative for the humans. If she's responsible for the bombing in the Bayou—"

"Hang on, we don't know if it was her for sure. It could have been, or it could have been someone who works for her. I'll talk to Klaus and Elijah about it later. We need to be absolutely sure we have the right person before we go after them, or we'll only make things worse."

"Okay. You're right. Just…keep me posted on what you learn, okay?"

"Of course. Don't I always do that?" Cassandra flashed Hayley a smile. Hayley nodded and leaned back against the seat of the car as Cassandra started the engine and drove away. They fell silent until they reached the main highway where Cassandra drove east towards the Quarter instead of heading west.

"Wait, what are you doing? We should be going the other way," Hayley turned her head toward Cassandra, a confused expression on her face.

"I know, but I need to be with my friend Cami right now. Her Uncle, Father Kieran, he's dying. Probably won't make it through the night," Cassandra murmured in a sad voice. "I was going to let you take this car back to the Bayou. Elijah will still be there, so he can drive it back, or I'll just have him or Klaus bring me back tomorrow."

"Oh. Gotcha," Hayley nodded slowly. "Hey, if you need any help kicking a little witch ass later, you know who to call."

"Absolutely," Cassandra cracked a small smile.

A little while later, Cassandra stood outside St. Anne's church watching Hayley drive off in the car. When she was out of sight, Cassandra took a deep breath and headed inside to find Cami. She didn't see her anywhere in the rows of pews.

"Cami?" Cassandra called out. "Are you here?"

"Up here," Cami's voice came from above.

Cassandra glanced up at the balcony and spotted her friend sitting on the first row of pews. She quickly made her way to the back of the church and headed up the stairs to the balcony. As soon as she sat down beside Cami, she engulfed her in a warm hug. Cami told Cassandra about how Klaus had fed Kieran his blood so that she and he would be able to have a real goodbye because he wasn't going to complete the transition into a vampire.

"Cami, I'm so, so sorry," Cassandra murmured softly. "At least he'll be at peace, your uncle. Cling to that. I know it's not much, but it helped me when I was mourning my dad." Cassandra gave Cami a gentle squeeze.

Cami nodded her head slowly before closing her eyes and lowering it as if to say a silent prayer. She sniffed and began to cry softly, prompting Cassandra to hug her again. Father Kieran chose that moment to appear in the doorway, causing both Cami and Cassandra to snap their heads up and over in his direction.

"Have you changed your mind?" Cami asked him as she stood up to face him, a hint of hopefulness in her voice. Cassandra slowly stood up beside her.

"Yes, it appears I have," he answered as he stepped through the doorway. He moved his right hand out from behind his back and revealed he was holding a large knife.

"Oh my god!" Cassandra squeaked.

"Oh," Cami whispered.

With no warning, Kieran raised the knife and swung it at Cami. Both girls screamed as Cami held her arm up to block him. He swung the knife again and succeeded in slicing her arm open. Cassandra grabbed onto Cami's other arm and held onto her as they leaned back against the balcony railing. Cami began to whimper in fright as Kieran held up the knife and slowly licked her blood off it to complete his transition. His eyes turned red as black veins appeared on the skin beneath them, confirming he was now a vampire.

He started to walk towards them, leaving them with only one way to escape. They spun around and quickly swung their legs over the balcony. Cami was the first to fling her body over the side. Cassandra took a huge breath and wrapped her arms around her stomach before following after her. She stuck her feet out, hoping they'd take the brunt of the impact. Once they made contact with the ground, the force of gravity along with her pregnant body sent her forward on her knees, then onto her side with a rattling thud. She looked over and saw Cami laying on her stomach in a bit of a daze.

"We gotta get out of here, Cami!" Cassandra whispered as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Cami began to army crawl towards the back of the church, but she wasn't able to get very far.

"Don't fight it, Cami," Kieran grabbed her by the back of her jacket and flung her into the pews with his new vampire strength. "In death, we are whole again."

"No!" Cassandra cried out. Kieran's head snapped in her direction. She blinked and found him standing in front of her. "P-please. Don't…d-don't—AH!" She screamed as he yanked her up to her feet and gripped the back of her neck as he forced her to walk with him to where Cami was.

"And you," he glared at Cassandra. "That monstrosity of evil you carry in your womb. It cannot be allowed into this world."

"No, please. Please!" Cassandra begged him not to hurt her. He stopped beside Cami and grabbed her leg with his other hand, dragging her along to the front of the church. He released her when they reached the stairs and turned his focus back to Cassandra. He hissed as his eyes turned red and his fangs appeared. Before he could attempt to bite her, Klaus appeared and effortlessly snapped Kieran's neck, incapacitating him. He wrapped an arm around Kieran to hold him up as Cassandra stumbled backwards and let out a huge breath of relief. He met her eyes, then looked to Cami. Both girls knew what had to be done next. Cami slowly nodded her head, giving Klaus the go ahead.

"You deserved far better than this," Klaus murmured to Kieran. He pulled out a wooden stake he'd been holding in his back pocket and plunged it into Kieran's heart, killing him for good. He slowly lowered Kieran's body to the floor and removed the stake as the priest's skin turned grey and veiny. After a brief moment, he dropped the stake onto the floor and turned toward Cassandra and Cami.

"Klaus!" Cassandra practically threw herself at him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Ssssh, you're okay, love," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. Her chest shook with relieved sobs as she buried her face against his neck and shoulder.

"I thought he was going to kill both of us," she mumbled. Remembering her friend, she let go of him and spun around. Cami was laying passed out on the floor with cuts and bruises on her head.

"I've got her," Klaus moved around Cassandra and scooped Cami into his arms. They took her home to her apartment where Klaus carefully laid her on her bed.

"Marcel?" Cami started to stir and called out for him in a soft voice. Klaus let out a sigh and pulled out his cell phone as he walked over to the other side of the room. Cassandra could tell Cami was really out of it and did her best to be there for her. She could hear Klaus's low voice as he spoke on the phone. A little while later there was a knock at the door. Klaus opened it and stepped aside to allow Marcel in. Cassandra quickly rose from the bed and backed away as he rushed over to Cami and began to console her as she started to cry. Cassandra allowed Klaus to usher her back outside to his car so they could head back to the compound.

They were halfway there when Cassandra's phone rang. She pulled it out of her jacket pocket and saw Hayley's name flashing back at her. She tapped to answer it and brought her phone up to her ear. "Hey. How's everyone—"

"There was a second attack. We lost some people. We lost Eve," Hayley blurted out.

"Oh no," Cassandra gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "Hayley, I'm so sorry."

While she didn't know Eve that well, she liked her and appreciated all of the help she was willing to give. She felt a sadness in her heart at the loss.

"You should see Ollie right now," Hayley sighed. "He's riling up all the other wolves, gearing them up for a fight."

"Yikes."

"Yeah. He's out for blood, and he's not alone."

"So much for the treaty we all signed."

"Pretty much. Listen, I gotta go try to get them to chill. I just wanted you to know about the second attack and Eve."

"Thanks for telling me," Cassandra murmured.

They talked for a moment longer before ending the call. Cassandra didn't have to look over at Klaus to know that he'd heard every word. She knew now that they were going to need his alliance with the wolves to remain intact more than ever.

When they arrived at the compound, she went straight upstairs to take a long, hot shower while Klaus went into the parlor where he found Elijah standing in front of one of the windows, gazing out as he sipped from a glass of bourbon.

"First Marcel's massacre, now bombs in the Bayou," Klaus sighed as he took a seat at the desk next to the entry way and leaned back in the leather chair. "I assume you're ready to give up this doomed treaty."

"This alliance with the wolves," Elijah turned around and walked over to the desk to place a big, leather bound book in front of Klaus. "well, if it is to succeed, I believe you'll want this."

Klaus leaned forward and picked up Esther's grimoire as Elijah walked past him to the small bar set up behind the desk he was seated at, flipping the cover open to verify that it was indeed his mother's spell book. "Seems I have Cassandra to thank for your change of heart."

"The rifts in this city run far deeper than I even imagined, Niklaus," Elijah murmured as he refilled his glass and poured liquor into a second. "These tribes, these factions—they're families, families who chose to fight. Mayhem has descended upon our home, and if I am to choose a side," he walked back around to the front of the desk with two glasses in his hands and handed one to Klaus. He paused a beat as he slipped his free hand into his pocket and held his glass up. "To our victory, brother."

Klaus glanced up at him and slowly raised his glass, lightly clinking it against Elijah's as his lips slowly curled upward into a smirk.


	19. Hello From The Other Side

**Hey guys. I'm back with another chapter. This one was incredibly intense and so much fun to write. Fair warning, it ends with a...well you'll just have to read to find out. Someone asked about getting more of a glimpse of Klaus's point of view. There are definitely some glimmers of that in the chapter after this one. I'll see what I can do about sprinkling in some more down the line, although for the most part I have been trying to mostly only go inside Cassandra's head. But, I'm willing to branch out a little if I can find a way to make it work for the story, so we'll see how it goes during the writing process. Thank you so much for continuing to stick with me on this epic adventure. You guys are the best! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 19 - Hello From The Other Side**

Cassandra tilted her head back as the stream of steamy hot water from the shower head hit her body. She slowly turned around and let out a deep sigh as the muscles in her neck and shoulders began to relax. She tilted her head back and got her hair wet before turning back around again and ran her hands up and down her arms as she moved around under the rushing water.

She blinked and felt a presence behind her. Before she could turn around, a pair of arms slid around her waist and the pair of hands connected to those arms began to move up and down her chest, caressing her before moving down onto her flat stomach. She smiled and leaned back against the warm body that was pressed against her back side as butterflies swirled around in her stomach at the anticipation of what was coming. A pair of lips lightly grazed her shoulder as a hand continued moving down her abdomen and between her legs. She tilted her head back as a burst of pleasure rocketed through her body. The same pair of lips moved up along her neck until they reached her ear.

"Hello, darling. Miss me?" An unmistakable, completely unexpected voice whispered in her ear.

Cassandra's eyes shot open as she spun around and found herself face to face with a very naked Kol Mikaelson. "Kol!" She squeaked and pushed him away from her.

She woke up in bed next to a sleeping Klaus with a shuddering jolt and rubbed her eyes as her heart pounded in her chest. She moved her hand down to her stomach and let out a deep breath at feeling its round, very pregnant size. _Oh my god. It was just a dream. A freakishly insane dream._

She'd been sleeping on her side with her back to Klaus and carefully rolled onto her back so she could see if he was awake. She was relieved to find him lying on his side with his back to her and his arm closest to the bed tucked under his pillow. She smiled and leaned her head back against her pillow. She'd barely closed her eyes when Klaus woke with a loud gasp.

"Klaus?" Cassandra pushed herself up to a sitting position and glanced at him. His mouth hung open as he caught his breath. She cautiously reached out and placed her hand on top of his bare arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he whispered as he nodded his head. "Just a bad dream. I'll be fine. Did I wake you?"

"No, I was already awake. Crazy dreams are contagious, I guess."

He rolled over to face her and pulled her into his arms. She snuggled into him and focused on the steady sound of his beating heart until it lulled her back to sleep. Klaus wasn't so lucky. Haunted by the vision of his dream in his mind, he stared up at the ceiling while he listened to Cassandra's slow, peaceful breathing and the rapid, beating heart of their unborn child.

* * *

"New Orleans is full of ghosts," Genevieve spoke to Monique, Davina, and Abigail as they walked along one of the quieter streets near Lafayette Cemetery the following morning. "Our dead are always here hovering. When supernatural creatures die, they're doomed to spend eternity alone, watching the world go on without them. Of course, that's not the case for the ancestral witches. We linger in a different way—consecrated in the earth, replenishing it's power."

"What about humans?" Davina asked in a tentative voice.

Genevieve came to a stop, forcing the three girls to halt behind her. "Some find peace," she slowly turned around to face them. "Some don't. I have to make an appearance at the priest's wake. You three head back to the lycée, take some time to think about those spirits who might still be walking along side you."

She turned away from them and began to continue down the sidewalk. As Davina and Abigail started to head across the street, Monique stole a glance at them before deciding to catch up to Genevieve.

"I don't know why we're supposed to care about Kieran O'Connell," she murmured, falling into step beside the redheaded witch.

"We care because when a pillar of our community passes, Monique, you call a cease-fire and pay your respects," Genevieve answered in her authoritative voice.

"Or you just want to see Klaus," Monique cracked a tiny smile. "You two are getting cozy."

"I need the Mikaelsons to trust me so I can get close enough—"

"To kill their baby?"

Genevieve let out a frustrated breath of air and back around to Monique. "To fulfill my obligation to our ancestors. _Go home_ , Monique."

She continued on her way, leaving Monique behind. It was clear from the dark expression on Monique's face as she watched her mentor walk down the street that she was going to have to take matters into her own hands.

* * *

Cassandra stood in front of the bar at Rousseau's, absentmindedly drumming her fingertips against the surface in time with the fiddler that was playing in the band for Father Kieran's wake. She had her eyes on the bartender, watching as he poured some lemon-lime soda and ginger ale into a glass he'd already partially filled with a sugary mint water mixture for the base of the non-alcoholic mint julep she'd ordered. He placed the glass in front of her when he was done and moved onto the next customer. She thanked him as she picked it up and brought the straw up to her mouth to take a sip. The semi-sweet and tangy drink was heaven in a glass. She took another sip, then carefully made her way through the crowd over to the round booth Klaus was seated at. She stopped short a few feet away when her eyes landed on Cami seated across from him.

"I've been having these dreams about my dead father," she heard Klaus say to Cami with a slight slur, indicating that he'd been drinking. "No diagnosis necessary, love. I've already got this one covered. My fears of fatherhood, of scarring my child as my father scarred me are manifesting as nightmares. It's horrifically cliché."

Cassandra wanted to approach the table, but she couldn't get her feet to move. She was hurt that he was more comfortable telling Cami about his nightmares than her, the mother of his miracle child and supposed love of his life. When Cami stood up a minute later, Cassandra seemed to regain the ability to move again and flashed her a friendly smile as they passed by each other. When she reached the table, Cassandra set her drink down and carefully lowered herself down onto the side of the booth across from Klaus.

Klaus was gazing past her, a tight lipped, firm jawed expression on his face. Cassandra turned her head to follow his line of sight and saw Marcel staring at them. She turned back to Klaus and started to open her mouth when the sound of clinking glass stopped her. The entire place fell silent as Marcel began to address everyone.

"I know I haven't been around these parts lately. It's a testament to Father Kieran that we could come together and share a drink and a story or two. Kieran rolled into town on a rusty old cruiser after his daddy died twenty years ago. And, damn it, that guy could party," Marcel smiled as the crowd laughed. "That was, of course, before he took his vows. But even then, he was committed to the Quarter. He knew that this town needed him. And we still do. To Father K."

"To Father K," the crowd chanted as they copied Marcel and raised their glasses up. The sound of glasses clinking together briefly filled the small restaurant as people toasted and resumed their conversations.

Cassandra took another sip from the straw in her glass and set it back down on the table. When she looked up, she saw Elijah making his way over to the booth with a bottle of scotch in one hand and a glass in the other. Before she could stand, Klaus rose to his feet allowing Elijah to slide in so that he was sitting in the middle. He opened the bottle and poured some of the liquor into the empty glass.

"Seems rather uncivilized to laugh and dance around the body of a loved one," Klaus mumbled in a low voice.

"Yes, far better to practice your process of grief, Niklaus. Denial, rage, and hoarding coffins in basements," Elijah cracked a smile as he put the cap back on the bottle and set it down.

"Careful, Elijah," Cassandra shook her head slightly. "Klaus is in one of his moods today."

"Sod off," Klaus hissed softly at his brother.

"I noticed," Elijah chuckled.

"Might have something to do with—" Cassandra stopped short when Hayley walked up to the booth. "Hayley! What are you doing here?"

"Hey Cassandra. Just paying my respects," she smiled at her, then turned to Klaus. "What's the deal with these moonlight rings? Oliver's trying to set a revolution every five seconds. People are scared, angry, and frankly, I'm tired of stalling."

"It's a day of peace, Hayley. Try and enjoy it," he answered in a soft voice. "And in the meantime with all manner of unknown enemies conspiring against my family, I'll not be allowing Cassandra to make any more trips to the Bayou."

"Seriously?" Cassandra scoffed and folded her arms as she leaned back in her seat and glared at him. "You're putting me back under house arrest again?"

Klaus let out an exasperated sigh as he met her eyes. "It's for your own safety, love."

"Awesome," Cassandra grumbled.

"Hayley," Klaus turned to her. "The rings are in progress. I will live up to my word. We will find and punish whoever launched the attack on the Bayou. But right now," he picked up the bottle that Elijah had brought to the table and twisted the cap off. "I'm gonna finish this bottle and the next in the hopes of drowning the demon that has chosen today to haunt me," he paused and glanced up as he waved the bottle in the air. "Cheers, Mikael. Impeccable Freudian timing."

Elijah stared at him, a stunned expression on his face. "Elaborate," he demanded in a soft voice.

"Yes, please do. Or, shall I go and get Cami since you're apparently a lot more comfortable spilling your guts to her than anyone else in present company," Cassandra spat. "Yeah, I overheard you talking to her a little while ago. Guess you aren't the only one that knows how to eavesdrop."

"Have you dreamt of our father?" Elijah ignored Cassandra's outburst and pressed Klaus further.

"Go ahead. Have a good laugh," Klaus met Elijah's eyes.

"I can assure you there is no piece of this that I find even remotely amusing," Elijah murmured. "Especially considering I've been dreaming of him, too."

"Wait, what?" Cassandra gasped.

"What?" Klaus whispered.

"If you are also seeing him," Elijah narrowed his eyes as the wheels in his head churned around trying to figure out the reason behind their dreams. He looked out at the crowd right as Genevieve was walking by and widened his eyes slightly. Genevieve caught him staring at her and smiled back at him. "Perhaps our elusive, unknown enemy is orchestrating an attack."

Cassandra and Klaus followed his gaze and spotted Genevieve looking back at them. Klaus flashed a smile at her and raised his hand, giving her a four fingered wave. Cassandra rolled her eyes and picked up her drink, taking a long sip from it. Klaus let out a soft sigh and reached for her hand as soon as she set her glass back down.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the details of my nightmare," he murmured to her. "I didn't want to give you cause to worry. Please, forgive me."

"I do," Cassandra sighed. "And I'm sorry for snapping. I'm irritable and moody today."

"All is forgiven, love. You are nearly nine months pregnant with our child. I'd be more surprised if you weren't showing signs of moodiness and irritability by now," he gave her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it. He stood up from the booth and leaned down to kiss her forehead before turning to Hayley. "Will you take her back to the compound? My brother and I have some…business to attend to."

"Sure," Hayley nodded.

He and Elijah took off without another word. Hayley wasted no time sliding down across from Cassandra in the booth. "So, feel like paying Francesca Correa a little visit? I saw her coming out of the back room when I got here, right after your bartender friend Cami came rushing out of the room looking pissed off at the world."

"Absolutely," Cassandra nodded her head eagerly. "Especially if she said or did something to upset my friend in addition to the bombings in the Bayou. Lead the way."

Once they were outside they made their way along the quiet streets to the neighborhood where Francesca's lavish mansion was located. They walked through the gate and up the long walkway to the front porch where they made themselves comfortable sitting on the steps while they waited for Francesca to return home.

They didn't have to wait very long. A mere ten minutes later, she appeared with her bodyguard following right behind her. She had her phone in her hands and was looking down at it with a smile on her face when she came to a stop at the foot of the stairs where Cassandra and Hayley sat. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise when she looked up and saw her unexpected visitors.

"Ah, Cassandra, right? And Hayley, I believe," she recalled their names. She went back to the message she was in the middle of composing on her phone as she walked over to stand in front of them, her bodyguard in tow as her shadow. "I'm guessing neither of you are here because you want to make a new friend."

"I don't count terrorists as friends," Hayley slowly stood up and folded her arms across her chest. "What about you, Cassandra?"

"Nope. Neither do I," Cassandra followed Hayley and rose to her feet.

"Wow. I've been accused of everything from grand larceny to blackmail, but terrorist, that's new," she shared an amused smile with her bodyguard.

"A human pulled up to our home in the Bayou on a motorcycle and blew himself up," Hayley went on.

"I heard. Awful," Francesca nodded her head. She held out her hand to her bodyguard who obediently placed her set of house keys in them. "Goodnight."

Hayley and Cassandra turned around and watched as Francesca walked up the front door. Cassandra took a step to follow after her and was immediately stopped by the bodyguard. The second he had placed his hand on her shoulder, Hayley grabbed in and kneed him in the gut before throwing him head first against a nearby four-foot ceramic vase, effectively knocking him out. Cassandra flashed her a grateful smile and continued up the stairs where a wide eyed Francesca stood. Francesca was quick to regain her composure and plastered a fake smile onto her face.

"Word on the street is he owed a hundred grand to the Palace Royale Casino. And then after he died, the debt was erased. Just like magic," Cassandra spoke in a low voice.

"Jeff was a fixture at my roulette table. Sometimes he was up. Sometimes he was down. I absolved his family of the debt he owed out of the goodness of my heart. Feel free to sniff around. My hands are clean. And I'd advise you both to mind your manners," Francesca's smile was replaced with an irritated scowl. She paused and glanced past Cassandra at Hayley. "It's lucky you're still alive. You're the one the wolves all whisper about, like royalty. If I was interested in hurting the wolves, you'd be my target. And when I go after someone, I don't miss."

She turned around and head inside her house, shutting the door behind her with a loud click. Cassandra let out a breath as she turned around and walked back to Hayley. They said nothing as they made their way back down the path and through the iron gate surrounding the property. As they began to make their way down the street, both were unware of the presence behind them.

Several yards back behind a tree in the shadows, Monique held a poppet representing Cassandra in her hand and stabbed it with a long needle as she whispered the incantation to a spell. " _Purger l'internieur, etiendre la lumiere dans cette f…_ "

Cassandra froze in mid step as a strange sensation washed over her, but it didn't linger. She couldn't explain it, but because it only lasted a moment, she shook it off and tugged her coat around her body a little more as she continued to walk with Hayley.

After Hayley had escorted her back to the compound, Cassandra sunk down onto the plush leather couch in the parlor room and propped her feet up on the coffee table while Elijah stood out on the balcony overlooking the street. She didn't want to admit it out loud, but she was feeling pretty wiped out after the walking she'd done with Hayley. She closed her eyes, only to open them again a second later when she heard approaching footsteps. She was less than thrilled to see the familiar red haired witch Genevieve walking into the room. Sighing, she lowered her feet to the ground and sat up straighter.

"Genevieve," Elijah called out in a low voice from the balcony, having heard her as well.

"I asked around. It's not just your father," Genevieve began to explain what she'd uncovered on why Elijah and Klaus were dreaming about their dead father. "The purgatory, where supernatural souls are trapped, is disintegrating."

Elijah slowly turned around to face her. "What do you mean disintegrating?" He asked in a soft voice.

"She's right, more or less," Klaus walked into the room with a sort of pleased smile on his face. "It's actually imploding. I made a call to a rather reluctant Bennett witch in Mystic Falls who said the same thing. The dead are being torn away into nothingness, and they're not interested in going quietly."

"So you're saying that our father, faced with permanent extinction, has decided to spend his remaining time tormenting us. How delightful," Elijah concluded with a hint of sarcasm.

Cassandra's eyes began to widen as the implications of this new discovery made her realize the significance of the dream she'd had that morning. "Why that sneaky little jerk!" She accidentally blurted out loud. Both Klaus and Elijah turned toward her with confusion over her outburst written all over their faces. _Aw, crap. Now I have to tell them_ , she sighed. "So, you two weren't the only ones being tormented by someone from the Other Side. Your darling baby brother Kol gave me a vision, too."

"And what did our dear younger brother have to say to you?" Elijah was the first to ask.

Cassandra could feel heat rising in her cheeks as images of the dream flashed in her mind. "It's not so much what he said, more like what he, uh, did, but it's not important. Or relevant."

"Well, then, what pray tell did he do?" Klaus asked, raising a curious eyebrow at her.

"You don't want to know," Cassandra stared down at her hands.

"It's a good thing he's already dead or I'd kill him," Klaus growled softly having put two and two together.

"So, does this mean I'm in the clear, Elijah?" Genevieve glanced over at him. "Or is there a new conspiracy you two would like to threaten me over?"

"Nothing springs to mind at this precise moment," Elijah answered, keeping a completely stoic composure while Klaus chuckled softly to himself.

"Oh, gee, thanks," Genevieve muttered in return. She turned around and flashed Klaus a smile before seeing herself out.

-o-

Klaus and Elijah walked on either side of Cassandra along the streets of the Quarter with dozens of other people for the funeral procession in honor of Father Kieran the following day. Cassandra ran the palms of her hands along the black fabric of her black maxi dress, and then pulled her black sweater around her tighter. She hadn't slept well the night before, though she didn't know why, and she felt sluggish as a result. She also woke up with a strange itch in her throat, which seemed to grow more noticeable since they began walking outside. In an attempt to alleviate it, she closed her hand into a fist and brought it up to cover her mouth as she coughed and cleared her throat.

"You okay?" Elijah placed a hand on her back as he turned his head towards her. "You look—"

"Tired, a hundred months pregnant, and pissed off anything that breathes?" Cassandra cut him off.

"I was going to say, 'You look lovely'" Elijah went back to looking straight ahead and smiled.

"Beautiful as always," Klaus murmured as he reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers. "If you need to stop and rest, just say the word, love."

"I will," Cassandra smiled at him. She allowed her gaze to wander and spotted Francesca walking up ahead of them. "Do you think Hayley was the target of those bombings? Or…heaven forbid…me?"

"Of course she was the target," Klaus affirmed her suspicions. "Were I to wage a war on the wolves, she'd be my first kill. I would string her up for all her worshippers to see. You and our unborn child would have been an added bonus."

"Figured as much," Cassandra sighed, nodding her head slowly.

"So you understand why it's not safe for you to go back out there?" Klaus stole a sideways glance at her.

"Yeah, I get that it's dangerous," Cassandra mumbled. She had this whole rant spinning around inside of her head, but she knew it was neither the time nor the place to get into it, so she bit her tongue. "I'm gonna go catch up to Cami. I'll meet back up with you two in a little while."

Klaus nodded and released her hand. Cassandra sped up her walking and made her way over to the sidewalk. When she spotted Cami, she called out her name and jogged to catch up with her. Cami turned and gave her a small hug.

"Thanks for coming," she cracked a small smile.

"Of course," Cassandra smiled back. She swallowed a lump that began to form in her throat. "How are you holding up?"

"As well as can be expected I guess. Didn't sleep much last night."

"Neither did I, but I'm very, very pregnant. What's your excuse?"

"Heh, you have me there," Cami chuckled softly.

"So," Cassandra took a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you something. I'm sorry about the crummy timing, but I'm not sure when I'll get another chance, plus I thought even a ten or fifteen second distraction from your sorrows couldn't hurt."

"It's okay. Ask away."

"Before he died, did your uncle say anything weird about Francesca Correa? I think that she may have been involved in an attack on the Bayou."

"He didn't. I've had the unfortunate pleasure of making her acquaintance. She's a real bitch. If I hear anything, you'll be the first to know."

"Thank you, Cami," Cassandra gave her a small smile and hugged her once more time before letting her walk on ahead. She coughed softly and brought her hand up to her mouth to cover it. Her itchy, scratchy throat was getting worse. Once she started coughing, she found herself unable to stop. She slowly made her way through the crowd over to the sidewalk and came to a stop beside a lamp post and held onto it for support as she gasped for breath. She could feel fluid rising up her throat, and when she coughed into her hand, she was startled to see that the fluid was bright red blood.

Genevieve had been passing by and noticed Cassandra standing by the lamppost coughing up blood into her hand. "Klaus!" she called out to get his attention as Cassandra passed out and crumbled to the ground.

"Cassandra!" Klaus and Elijah cried out, snapping their heads in her direction before whooshing over to her. Klaus scooped her limp body into his arms and sped back to the compound with Elijah and Genevieve following behind him. When they reached the courtyard, Klaus headed over to a long wooden table. Elijah quickly shoved everything off of it and held his hands under her head as Klaus gently laid Cassandra onto the table.

"I can help," Genevieve approached the table and started to reach out a hand towards Cassandra.

"Don't you touch her," Elijah growled, blocking her with his arm.

"Let her be, Elijah," Klaus stretched his hand out at his brother. "She was a nurse."

"There's a spell I can do," Genevieve spoke quickly. "Klaus, get chamomile from the pantry." He nodded and walked off to retrieve herb. Genevieve turned her attention to Cassandra and looked down at her. Cassandra began to shudder and shake as her head flopped to the side. "She's trembling. Your jacket, Elijah."

"She's not breathing," Elijah mumbled as peeled off his jacket and covered Cassandra with it. "I can hear the baby's heartbeat, but not hers."

Genevieve placed her fingers against Cassandra's neck to confirm her lack of a pulse. As she pulled her hand away, Klaus appeared with the bundle of chamomile she'd asked for and handed it to her. She held it against Cassandra's face and began to whisper the words to a spell. Klaus quickly grew impatient and pulled his jacket and shirt sleeve back to bite his wrist.

"Come on," he murmured as he pressed it against Cassandra's mouth. "Come back to me, sweetheart." Blood dribbled down her mouth onto her neck as she remained still. Klaus glanced up at Elijah with hopelessness in his eyes.

"She's still not breathing," Eljiah gave a soft hiss. "It's not working!"

He turned around and grabbed the nearest chair, throwing it at the wall with all of his strength. Klaus continued to hold his wrist to Cassandra's lips, waiting for his blood to heal her. When there was no change, he grabbed the chair next to him and let out a thunderous growl as he ripped it clean in half with his bare hands.

-o-

Cassandra gasped loudly for breath as her eyes popped open. She ran a hand over her bulging stomach as she lifted her head and slowly sat up to look around. She immediately recognized the windows and balconies from the courtyard at the compound. Why she'd been laying on a table, she didn't yet know. The courtyard looked the way it was supposed to, and yet, there was an eerie silence that didn't sit right with her.

As her eyes landed on a doorway, a man walked in. He had short, sandy blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and wore a black suit much like the ones Elijah liked to wear. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't place her finger on what it was. He had a sinister look in his eyes that frightened her to her core.

"W-who are you?" Cassandra gasped as she bent her knees and pushed herself off the table and onto her feet.

"I suppose," the man spoke in a deep accented voice and walked towards her wearing a creepy smirk on his lips. "I'm family."

Cassandra stared at him, trying to figure out what he meant. Then she realized exactly who he was. "Mikael…" She whispered, her eye widening in fear.

"I assume my reputation precedes me," he slowly walked towards her.

"This is a nightmare. I'm dreaming," she took small steps backwards as he inched closer.

"Oh the contrary, my darling. This is very real," he sneered. Before she had time to blink he was behind her, wrapping an arm around her neck in a firm headlock. She let out a loud, startled gasp as she fought against his hold. "Welcome to my hell. Stuck in an eternity of watching over that hideous creature my children call brother."

"You're dead," Cassandra's voice trembled. "How can I be here?" A second later the reality of the situation came crashing down on her, causing her to cry out in horror. "NO! NO! The baby!"

"The baby? That kid never had a chance!" Mikael growled in her ear. He raised his free hand and brushed the back of his knuckles against her cheek. "Such a shame too, the way he's gone and ruined you. You really are quite the beauty. I'd have been honored to welcome you into the family on the arm of Elijah, or even Kol, but you had to go and involve yourself with my bastard son." He broke out into an evil laugh. "The deathless vermin fancying himself a daddy."

"Klaus is going to be an amazing dad," Cassandra growled back.

"Oh, you poor, naïve little girl. He—AH!" He let out a bellowing yell as he was impaled from behind by a thick piece of wood. He released his hold on Cassandra and doubled over in pain. The next thing Cassandra knew she was standing in one of the hallways upstairs facing the last person she expected to see.

"Kol!" She squeaked. "What are you—"

"Rescuing you, darling. My father isn't the only one with tricks up his sleeve," he flashed her his million-watt smile. "Nice to see you, by the way. You look lovely. Now, here," He handed her a long, iron rod. "Take this, and stay here. I'll try to buy you as much time as I can."

She blinked and he was gone. She gripped the iron rod tightly in her arms and huddled against the corner at the end of the hall. She could hear the sounds of a scuffle coming from downstairs and knew it meant Kol was fighting his father. She ran her hand up and down her stomach as she tried to calm her breathing. The seconds slowly ticked by while she waited in fear. Eventually everything fell silent again, until she zeroed in on the sound of footsteps heading up the stairs.

"Did you really think Kol would be able to beat me?" Mikael let out a menacing laugh. Cassandra looked around for another place to hide, but saw nothing. She froze when Mikael came into view at the end of the hall.

"I'm not dead," Cassandra realized. She slowly met his eyes as she began to yell back at him. "My baby's not dead. If I was dead, you wouldn't be trying to kill me! But you...you're dead, Mikael. Your son already beat you!"

"He is _not_ my son!" Mikael growled and began walking towards her. "He's a scourge, a walking symbol of weakness. There is no saving that atrocity festering in your womb. Klaus will destroy it one way or another. Better it dies now, and you along with it!"

As he lunged at her, she knew she had one shot to do something. Gripping the rod her hand she raised it up and rammed in into him as hard as she could when he came at her. He let out a feral yell as the rod went all the way through his chest and out his back.

"My daughter has an advantage, Klaus never had," she hissed in his ear. "She will never, _ever_ know you."

Cassandra's eyes popped open as a loud gasp left her bloodstained lips. She was back in the land of the living, lying flat on the table in the courtyard where Klaus had laid her. She gasped again, realizing she was alive.

"Cassandra," Elijah murmured and rushed over to her side. Klaus was right behind him.

"You're alright, love," Klaus spoke softly as he and Elijah helped her sit up. "You're alright."

"I saw him," she gasped and held on to both Elijah and Klaus's arms. "And he tried to kill me." She moved her eyes toward Klaus and spoke in a frightened whisper. "I saw Mikael. And Kol. Kol saved me. Mikael, he was so awful."

"You're safe now. Come, let's get you cleaned up," Klaus helped her off the table and onto her feet.

As he started to lead her towards the stairs, she noticed Genevieve for the first time. "Thank you. I don't know why you chose to help me, but regardless, I'll never be able to thank you enough."

"You're welcome," Genevieve flashed her a warm smile.

Klaus led her to the bathroom and turned on the shower for her before leaving her alone. When she emerged a little while later she was as good as new. She made her way over to the bed and sat down as her mind replayed the events of the day. She'd officially lost count of the number of times various people had tried to kill her since she'd gotten pregnant.

"You've proved quite resilient, both of you," Klaus murmured as he walked over to her.

She glanced up at him. "We've had to be ever since we came here."

"I know," he paused and sat down beside her on the edge of the bed. "I don't think I've told you how much it means to me that you've remained here. I know it's been exceedingly difficult for you."

"Well, our daughter needs her father," Cassandra paused and met his eyes. She slowly reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers together. "I need him too."

He brought her hand up to his mouth and brushed his lips against the back of her hand. "I want to show you something. Come with me."

She allowed him to pull her off the bed to her feet. He led her over to a door on the other side of the room and opened it. Cassandra looked past the doorway and felt a rush of air leave her lungs. The room was a nursery for their daughter. A beautiful cedar wood crib with pink bedding had been placed in the corner opposite of the doorway. A rocking chair sat facing the crib a couple of feet away. A beautiful mobile made from sparkling gems and other clear crystals hung above the bed. A changing table and chest of drawers had been placed along the wall to the left of the doorway, and shelves had been installed and filled with toys and books. Some of the toys Cassandra realized had to have been his based on their antique appearance. The final thing her eyes landed on, hanging on the wall across from the crib, was the full moonlit cityscape of the French Quarter he had painted a couple of months ago. The sight of it made her heart swell.

Her lips curled into a smile as she walked in and looked around. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

"I know your sister never got to throw you the party she wanted to. I gave her and your mother a call and asked them to buy whatever they wanted for you and the baby. You will see when you look in the drawers and the closet that they did not disappoint."

"Oh my gosh," Cassandra brought a hand to her lips. "This is…I….wow!"

"So you like it?"

Cassandra spun around and faced him, nodding her head vigorously as she walked up to him and threw her arms around his neck. "I love it!"

"Good," he smiled. "Not to ruin the moment, but, you said you saw my father?"

"Why do you call him that? He's not your real dad," Cassandra spoke softly.

"He's done damage only a father could do," Klaus whispered. Cassandra nodded. "What did he say to you?"

Cassandra brought her hand up to caress the side of his face. "Nothing true. I promise."

Though it wasn't the detailed answer he would have liked, he nodded and smiled at her. "Good. Well, I need to go make sure Marcellus doesn't go over his allotted twenty-four hours allowance into the city. I shall be back in a little while." He leaned in and gently kissed her forehead before leaving her on her own in the nursery.

* * *

While she had been casting her spell to save Cassandra, Genevieve had a vision of Monique casting her own spell on Cassandra using the poppet she'd made earlier that same day. From the vision, Genevieve knew exactly what to do to counter it and had been able to save Cassandra and earn a little bit of favor in Elijah and Klaus's eyes. When she was certain Cassandra was in the clear, she left the compound and stormed into the Lycée where she found Monique working at a counter.

"What the hell did you do to Cassandra?" Genevieve hissed loudly, yanking Monique to her by her arm.

"I was just trying to do what the ancestors asked," Monique spat out quickly.

"That baby is part witch. The ancestors want her consecrated to the earth so her magic can fuel our community. She has to be _born_ _first_ before she can die," Genevieve gave a wave of her hand, having had enough of Monique's thoughtless antics for one day. "Leave. I don't want to look at you."

She let out a breath of air as Monique walked around her and left the room. The experience at the compound that day had left a real imprint on her. For the first time she'd been a witness to just how deeply Klaus and Elijah cared about both Cassandra and the baby. Wrought with guilt, she made a snap decision and quickly gathered the materials she needed before heading over to Lafayette Cemetery.

Once she got there, Genevieve laid out everything she needed for her spell. As she began to chant, she sprinkled salt in a line, placed a star amulet above it, and crumpled some dried flowers and herbs to sprinkle over everything.

"Misericorde. Don't make me do this," she pleaded, gazing up at the sky. "She's a baby. Don't make me a monster!" She shook her head as she looked and began to sob. "Please!"

Red drops began to appear on the stone altar she hovered over. She let out a gasp and brought her hands up to her face. Blood had begun seeping down from the corners of her eyes, the ancestor's way of sending a response to her plea.

"No," she whimpered.

Out of nowhere an invisible force sent her sailing backwards through the air. She was slammed against the side of a mausoleum before being brought back down to the ground with a hard thud.

"Uh! Ahh!" She cried out in pain. She could hear the distinctive, faint whispering voices of the ancestors in her ear. She started to cover her face when blood began gushing out of her nose into her hands. "N-no! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll do it. I'll do whatever you want!"

* * *

Cassandra ran a hand along her baby bump, smiling at the baby's movement inside of her as she stared out of the nursery window, watching the parties on the streets below dwindle down. She heard soft footsteps approaching and glanced over her shoulder to see Elijah walking through the doorway.

"If I died," she returned her gaze to the window. "I know my sister would throw the biggest party the world has ever seen."

Elijah silently walked forward to stand beside her. "You almost did," he murmured softly. "In a thousand years, I can't recall a time I felt so...frightened."

Cassandra hadn't expected those words to come out of his mouth. She turned around to face him, the tiniest of smiles tugging at her lips. She didn't know what to say, so she said nothing and stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck instead. He returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Kol may have saved me tonight, but no one has been there for me the way that you have, Elijah. I never would have been able to get through any of this without you and I...I just wanted you to know that," she spoke in a soft voice. She turned her head and brushed her lips lightly against his cheek.

When she leaned away from him, she could tell from the surprise on his face that he hadn't expected her to give him a kiss on the cheek. She gave him another warm smile and lowered her arms to her sides and she took a step back from him. She started to turn away from him to resume gazing out of the window when he grabbed her hand, stopping her, and pulled her back into his arms. Before she could say anything, his lips were on hers.

Her breath caught in her throat and she froze, unable to move from the shock of his sudden action. Her eyes fluttered shut on instinct, and her brain seemed to lose all ability to function as she gripped his shoulders for support. He moved a hand to the back of her neck as his lips lingered against hers for one, two, three more seconds.

She could feel him starting to pull away and slowly opened her eyes. Her lips parted in surprise when she discovered he'd completely vanished. As she began to regain the ability to form coherent thoughts, she shuffled over to the rocking chair and carefully lowered her body down into it. She hugged her belly as she stared at the floor and tried to make sense over the fact that Elijah had just kissed her. She had one phrase on repeat in her head— _Oh. My. God.!_


	20. Never Trust A Witch

**Hey guys. I am so sorry about the longer than usual wait. I don't know if any of you were aware of the bug the website was experiencing the last week of April and the first week of May where emails for new chapter updates were not going out. When I learned about it, I decided to hold off updating until it was fixed because of the huge number of followers I have. Now that everything is back to normal again, here I am. This is certainly the longest chapter to date that I have written in either "Crazy" story. I was so overwhelmed by the responses to the last chapter. I did not expect all of the objections to the Elijah/Cassandra development from the Klaus/Cassandra shippers, though I suppose I shouldn't be too terribly surprised by it. I think you guys will be...ah, you'll have to read to find out about how Cassandra deals with it. Will she tell Klaus about the kiss? Will she keep it a secret? Those questions will be answered in this chapter. With that, I'll leave you guys to your reading. Thank you guys so, so much for sticking with me! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 20 - Never Trust A Witch**

While Cassandra had been fighting for her life on the Other Side, Jackson and Oliver had left town to retrieve a very specific gemstone for the moonlight rings Klaus was planning to have made. It was not an easy stone to get one's hands on, which meant they had to make a long trip to find it. Fortunately, they were successful and filled a duffel bag with the stones before beginning the trek back to New Orleans.

They drove well into the night, determined to deliver the duffle bag to Klaus as soon as possible. One good thing about driving at such a late hour—the highway was pretty much empty which made for a faster drive.

"Lot of driving for a bag of rocks," Oliver murmured, glancing over his shoulder at the duffle bag in the back seat.

Jackson gave a slight shake of his head as he gripped the steering wheel. "We'll be in the Quarter by dawn."

"You sure the hybrid will do his part?" Oliver resumed staring straight head.

"Cassandra will make sure of that," A small smile tugged at Jackson's lips.

"Yeah. I forgot hybrid baby mama has got him wrapped around her finger," Oliver's voice oozed with contempt, which did not go unnoticed by Jackson.

"You know, Ollie, I love you like a brother," Jackson glanced over at him. "but if you don't lay off Cassandra, we're gonna have a problem."

Oliver leaned forward as flashing red and blue lights came into view down the road. "Pay attention, dude."

Jackson's jaw tightened as the distance between the car he and Oliver were driving in and the flashing lights quickly diminished. When they were less than a hundred yards away, they found that the flashing lights belonged to a couple of police cruisers that were blocking the two-lane highway.

"All right. Relax," Jackson commanded in a calm voice as he eased the car to a stop once they reached the spot where the police cruisers were. "We ain't done anything."

Four State Troopers were standing between the two cruisers. One held a rifle in his hands, while the other three stood with their hands on their hips. Jackson rolled down his window and leaned his head out to speak to them.

"Evening, officers," Jackson called out in a friendly voice.

"Step out of the car, both of you," One of the troopers ordered in a gruff voice, keeping his right hand resting against his gun holster as he spoke.

"What's this about?" Jackson asked in the same friendly tone. All four troopers armed themselves and pointed their guns at Jackson and Oliver in the blink of an eye, like Jackson had done something wrong instead of simply asking what the blocked road was all about. Jackson immediately pulled his head back into the car and stared in shock at the guns being pointed at him and Oliver.

"I think you should do what the man says," Marcel strutted forward from behind the troopers with a wide smirk on his face with Diego following right behind him. "Before things take a nasty turn."

When Jackson and Oliver remained firmly tightlipped, Marcel and Diego grabbed them from their car and dragged them away to their late comrade Thierry's old warehouse at the docks. Marcel and Diego tied Jackson and Oliver to a pair of chairs and took turns throwing punches in an attempt to get them to cave and spill what they were doing for Klaus. They went at it for hours. After watching Diego throw a series of hard punches at Oliver, Jackson had had enough.

"Leave him alone!" Jackson yelled.

"We'll leave your boy alone when you tell us what Klaus is up to," Marcel replied cooly.

"How the hell should I know what he is up to?" Jackson glared at Marcel.

"See, I know you've been meeting him," Marcel took a few steps towards Jackson and leaned down so they were eye level. "The stones in your duffel bag, it's black kyanite. It's pretty rare. I also know enough about witchcraft to recognize the ingredients of a spell. So you gonna make me ask again?" Jackson remained silent, flashing Marcel a menacing sneer. Marcel nodded his head. "Okay."

He exchanged a look with Diego who smiled and went over to grab a blowtorch laying on top of a box. "You want to know the problem with having two werewolf hostages?" Diego walked back over to stand in front of them and held up the torch. "You really only need one."

"You crescent boys," Marcel prattled on as Diego ignited the blow torch and grabbed Oliver by his hair, pulling his head back. "You think you're a bunch of badasses, but back in '25, I wiped out a whole bloodline of Guerrera werewolves. They were a lot tougher than you."

Diego started to slowly move the blowtorch flame closer to Oliver when Jackson caved and spoke up. "Wait!" He met Marcel's eyes. Marcel held his hand up, signaling Diego to ease up. Once Diego had turned off the blow torch flame, he nodded at Jackson to continue talking. "You let him go, I will tell you about the stones, about Klaus, whatever."

"Alright," Marcel grinned as Diego shoved Oliver's head to the side before turning around and walking away from him. "A deal is a deal, but since nirvana here is gonna turn into a wolf in about eight hours, D drop his ass off way out in the Bayou."

"Will I at least get to kill this fool?" Diego motioned at Jackson with his hand.

Marcel turned his head back towards Jackson and tilted it slightly as he stared at him. "No. I got a better idea."

* * *

"Elijah did what?!" Cassandra had to move her phone away from her ear as Caroline let out a loud shriek.

"Aw, come on, Care. Don't make me say it again," Cassandra groaned as she tucked her legs underneath her. She was nestled under a blanket in one of the lounge chairs out on the second-floor balcony overlooking the pool in the backyard the following afternoon. She'd called to tell her sister about Elijah kissing her the previous night.

"Sorry. It's just...wow. That's three Mikaelson's now. So…how was it?"

"Caroline!" Cassandra shook her head and groaned again.

"What? I'm serious. Now that you've kissed not one, not two, but three Mikaelson brothers, which of them is the best?"

"I am so not dignifying that with an answer."

"Okay, okay. Fine. Moving on. Did you feel anything? Are you going to tell Klaus about it? Personally, I think Elijah is a far better choice than Klaus so—"

"You're just saying that because you can't stand Klaus."

"Well, that's true."

"As for how I feel about it, I can't even begin to think about that right now," Cassandra sighed. "I am weeks away from giving birth. My baby is kind of all I can really focus on these days."

"That's understandable," Caroline agreed. "You're going to have to deal with it eventually though."

"I know, and I know I need to tell Klaus about it, I just…he and Elijah have been getting along so well lately, I don't want to see them at odds with each other again. I'm just glad he's been distracted with some other things today. If he saw the way I've been acting and avoiding Elijah all morning, he'd know something was up."

"That answers my next question. Did you and Elijah talk about it…which obviously you haven't if you've been avoiding him."

"Yeah, no. I have no idea what to say him right now. It's not like I need to know why he did it. I already know the reason why."

"You almost died, he freaked, emotions were all over the place, and he was reacting," Caroline quickly prattled off a short list of reasons.

"Pretty much, yeah," Cassandra nodded her head.

Cassandra had been reluctant to tell Caroline about the umpteenth attempt on her and her baby's before, but ultimately decided she wanted her sister to know on the off chance that Mikael tried to make contact with anyone in Mystic Falls while The Other Side was still around. Caroline had freaked, of course, but she calmed down quickly enough. She was, however, remaining tight lipped on the goings on in Mystic Falls. Rather than press her on it, Cassandra decided what she didn't know couldn't stress her out or worry her. She trusted Caroline to be up front with anything that she really needed to know about.

"So who—ak!" Cassandra stopped short when her phone beeped in her ear, signaling she was receiving another call. She pulled the phone away from her ear and glanced at the screen. "Oh. Hayley's calling me. I should take this."

"Okay. Stay safe. Call me later if you need more sisterly advice," she murmured with a soft laugh.

"Will do," Cassandra smiled. After saying a final goodbye, she picked up Hayley's call. "Hey Hayley. What's up?"

"Hey. You haven't heard from Jackson by any chance, have you?" There was a hint of worry in Hayley's voice.

Cassandra sat up straighter in her seat. "No. I haven't. Why?"

"He and Oliver aren't back yet from getting those stones for Klaus. They were supposed to be back this morning."

"Morning's long gone now."

"I know. I'm worried something's happened to them."

Cassandra felt her stomach drop. She knew the last thing Jackson would want to do is worry them. The likelihood that he and Oliver had been unexpectedly detained seemed extremely likely.

"I'm going to go let Elijah and Klaus know," Cassandra stood up. "They'll be able to track them down. Sit tight, okay? I'll let you know the second I hear anything."

"Thanks, Cassandra," Hayley let out a breath.

Cassandra ended the call and made her way back inside. She knew Klaus wasn't at the compound, which meant she would have to seek out Elijah. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and headed down the hallway to the parlor, deciding to start her search for him there. As luck would have it, he was there sitting at the desk, staring down at an open book. She paused in the doorway to get her bearings, then proceeded to walk towards him.

"Elij—" she stopped abruptly after her voice came out sounding squeaky and cleared her throat. When Elijah looked up at her, she held her phone up. "Elijah, I just got off the phone with Hayley. She said Jackson and Oliver aren't back yet. They were supposed to be back from getting the stones for Klaus early this morning. We think something might have happened to them."

Elijah nodded and reached into his jacket pocket for his phone. He dialed Klaus's number and stood as he held the phone up to his ear and walked around his desk towards Cassandra.

"It appears our wolves have gone astray, brother," Elijah told Klaus once he answered.

"They should have been back hours ago," Cassandra added.

Elijah turned to her and held up a finger to silence her as he continued to speak to Klaus. "We need to find them."

Cassandra watched as Elijah slipped his free hand into his pants pocket and listed to whatever Klaus was saying next. She couldn't read his face and desperately wished she could hear Klaus's side of the phone call.

"And you didn't feel the need to share this information?" Elijah kept his voice casual. A moment later his eyes flickered over to Cassandra as he spoke again in response to Klaus saying he had intended to tell Elijah about the missing wolves and how be believed they had been shanghaied after finding their car abandoned on a back road once he'd found an appropriate solution. "Well, do enlighten us."

"I'm closing in on it as we speak," Klaus answered. "The only person who would be bold enough to snatch my wolf allies is the one who has the most to lose."

"Marcel," Elijah whispered.

"No. He'll kill them," Cassandra gasped softly.

Elijah kept his face serious as he wrapped up his phone call with Klaus and put his phone back into his pocket before meeting her eyes again. "Don't worry. We'll find them," he spoke in a calm, reassuring voice.

Cassandra nodded her head and started to turn around to leave when Elijah reached for her hand to stop her. "Cassandra, I need to—" He stopped when his phone buzzed inside his pocket. He let go of her hand and pulled his phone back out to find a text from Klaus. "Niklaus knows where they are. I'm going go to help him deal with Marcellus. Genevieve is down in the cellar if you need anything."

"Okay," Cassandra nodded. "Let me know when you find them so I can let Hayley know."

"Of course," he gave her a nod before turning around to leave the room.

Cassandra placed her empty hand on her stomach and let out a breath. Now all she could do was wait.

* * *

Cami took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she stood in front of the small apartment building located on the outskirts of the French Quarter. A whirlwind of events had led her to that particular doorstep. Before he died, Kieran had revealed to her a secret key that he kept around his neck on a necklace. The key, he told her, was a very important part of their family legacy and needed to be kept safe and hidden. Marcel, too, had known of its value, which was why he had taken liberties to have it removed from Kieran's person when he started to lose his mind due to the curse the witches had placed on him. Cami was quick to figure it out, and with a little bit of prompting, talked Marcel into giving the key to her.

It wasn't until after Kieran died and she was in the cemetery at her family's tomb watching as the caretaker began laying a wall of bricks to conceal the late priest in his final resting spot that she figured out the rest of the puzzle surrounding the key. Being at her family's tomb made her think about how her brother, Sean, had been buried over where the bodies of criminals and John Does were laid to rest. In thinking about why her uncle would have Sean placed there instead of with the rest of the family, she realized the distance gave him an opportunity to hide something in Sean's grave, something he didn't want anyone else to find.

Her suspicions were confirmed once she'd taken a sledgehammer to the bricks used to close up her brother's grave, breaking them down so she and Marcel could see what was inside. They found an old, dusty box with a lock that unlocked easily with Kieran's secret key. When they opened it, both were disappointed to find the box was empty. Marcel came to the conclusion that someone else must have gotten to whatever was in it first, but Cami wasn't so quick to agree with him. She'd noticed a code carved into the inside of the lid and realized this is what her uncle was protecting. She knew this because she recognized the code. Her own brother had taught it to her when they were kids. Of course Marcel wanted to know what the code on the lid said, but she refused to tell him, realizing how important it was to continue protecting it just as her uncle had.

Later, when she was alone, she cracked the code and discovered it was an address to an apartment, which was why she was there now. Once she had her bearings, she made her way inside and spoke to the landlord. When he'd learned Father Kieran was her uncle, he had been more than willing to take her up to Kieran's room.

"Thank you for your time. I didn't realize my uncle even had this place until I read about it in his will," Cami kept her tone light as she and the landlord made their way upstairs. She knew what she'd said was a fib, but she wasn't about to reveal how she'd really come by the apartment address.

"This building has been in my family for decades. Your uncle helped us raise the funds to restore it after Katrina. I figured he kept this room for extra space. Anyway, I didn't ask any questions," the landlord explained as they reached the second floor. As they rounded a corner and approached the door to Kieran's apartment, the landlord thumbed through his set of keys for the one belonging to that apartment. "You know, Father K, he was as good as they come. I'm sorry for your loss."

Cami nodded her head in appreciation and watched as he slipped the key into the lock and turned it. "Um, do you mind if I go in alone?"

The landlord gave her a slight nod and left her to go in on her own. Cami watched him disappear back down the stairs, then turned her gaze to the door and slowly opened it. She made sure to quietly close the door behind her as she blinked and looked around. There wasn't much to the space at all. The walls were a dark, olive green. She walked forward a few steps and set her purse down on top of a small wooden table that had two chairs placed on opposite sides. She pulled out the notebook she'd written the code down in that led her to the apartment and stared at it for a moment, trying to figure out why her uncle had been keeping the address a secret. She walked over to the window, but there wasn't much to see, so she didn't linger. Her eyes landed on a refrigerator placed against the wall to the right of the front door. She walked back across the room over to it and pulled the refrigerator door open. The light didn't seem to be working, but she was still able to make out the outline of a beer bottle and pulled it out.

"Here's to buried treasure," she muttered as she twisted the cap off and brought the bottle up to her lips to take a drink. As she was swallowing, her eyes landed on another door, this one on the wall adjacent to the windows. She set the bottle of beer down on the table and walked over to the door. She opened it and found herself staring at the inside of a closet with a small assortment of garment bags hanging from the rack. She pushed them apart so she could see the back wall, and that's where she spotted it—a big, duct taped 'x' on one of the panels.

"Hello," she murmured softly. She stepped inside the closet and tugged at the panel, but it wouldn't budge. She knocked on it and noticed the hollow sound it had, so she knew she'd found her uncle's hiding place. She ran her hand along the edge of the panel and found a notch that, when pressed, allowed her to move it like a sliding door. Once she'd moved it far enough to see inside, she found herself staring at the entrance to a hidden room. At first all she could see where shelves full of files, but once she slipped inside, she realized the room housed much, much more.

The narrow room had shelves lining both sides. These shelves were littered with books, artifacts, and weapons dating back decades. She slowly looked around in complete shock at what she'd found. She stopped in front of a shelf in the middle of the room and picked up a long, gold antique syringe, the same syringe that had been used by the witch Agnes on Cassandra, though Cami didn't know that. She held it in her hand for a long moment as she continued to look around. When her eyes landed on a big file box with her name on it, she set the syringe back down and walked over to pull the box off the shelf. She carefully carried over to a table that was in there and began to go through the contents of the box. There were newspaper clippings, family trees, and notes all having to do with one particular family—the Correa Family. Cami felt a chill run down her spine as she began to go through the different documents, wondering why her uncle wanted her to see them.

* * *

"Klaus and Elijah should have called by now," Cassandra anxiously paced around the lounge with her phone in her hands, waiting to hear back from them on whether or not they had been able to locate Jackson and Oliver. She'd recently been joined in the room by Genevieve, who had finally emerged from the cellar.

"Worrying isn't going to help. You should sit down, try to keep calm," Genevieve insisted as she walked over to stand on one side of the leather couch in the room.

"What are you now, magician-slash-zen life coach?" Cassandra came to a stop and turned to face the redheaded witch, a hint of sass in her voice.

Genevieve took a small breath before speaking again, keeping her face and voice calm. "The treatment of pregnant women has advanced remarkably since I was a nurse, but even I know high blood pressure is bad for you, and your baby, especially now that you're so close to term."

"Three and a half weeks and counting," Cassandra sighed as she slowly lowered herself down onto the couch. "I hate feeling so useless. Even if I wasn't pregnant, I'd still be a weak, powerless human."

"Don't you get it?" Genevieve asked, prompting Cassandra to turn and meet her eyes. "You're the point of all this. Klaus and Elijah running all over town, it's all for you. I'm a bit envious."

"I know," Cassandra murmured softly.

"Well, is there anything I can get you?" Genevieve offered in a friendly voice.

"How about a couple dozen moonlight rings for my friends in the Bayou?" Cassandra flashed her a tiny smile.

Genevieve slowly sat down beside Cassandra on the couch. "The spell can't be performed until the full moon reaches its apex, and, of course, I need the stones, which will be here soon enough. Have a little faith."

Cassandra gave a small nod of her head before rise back to her feet. She'd had enough taking with Genevieve and wanted a little bit of breathing space from the witch. Sure, she was nice enough, but after everything she'd been through, Cassandra would never fully trust her or any other witch in the French Quarter. Once she was out of the room, she made her way down the hall towards the stairs leading to the courtyard and tried calling Klaus again. When he didn't answer, she let out a soft growl and tried Elijah. This time he answered.

"Finally. What's going on?" Cassandra asked in a low voice.

"Jackson is fine. He's a little tied up right now. Could we call you back?" Elijah wanted to know.

She could hear Klaus's soft laughter in the background and rolled her eyes. "Do I even want to know what your brother finds so amusing?"

"No. You don't," Elijah answered curtly.

A second later a soft, high pitched whining sound began on Elijah's end of the phone conversation, followed by Klaus's muffled voice. "Oh, that doesn't bode well."

"Are you trying to kill us?" Jackson growled in a loud voice that Cassandra could hear as clear as day.

Cassandra's heart began to thump wildly inside her chest. "Elijah, tell me what's going on now."

Instead of an answer, she was met with the sound of a loud explosion echoing in her ears. Her voice caught in her throat, rendering her speechless. By the time she'd recovered, a few long seconds later, Elijah's voice was speaking calmly in her ear, letting her know they were all okay and would be back at the compound shortly. Relieved beyond belief, Cassandra lowered her phone after they'd ended their conversation and headed back into the lounge to wait for them. She went back to her anxious pacing for ten long minutes until they came walking into the room. Relief flooded her body as she rushed over to them.

"Thank god you're alive," she sighed as she threw her arms around Klaus.

"Yes, we're all fine," Klaus chuckled, pressing the side of his head against hers as he hugged her back.

Cassandra let go of him a moment later and turned to Jackson, flashing him a small smile. "I'm glad you're okay." She guided him over to the couch to sit down and took a seat beside him. "I let Hayley know Klaus and Elijah found you.

"Thank you. I appreciate that," Jackson nodded his head slowly.

"What about the stones?" Cassandra looked from him to Elijah.

"Scattered across the Mississippi I imagine," Elijah answered dryly.

Klaus walked around to the table behind the couch where a few liquor decanters were and poured himself a drink. "Marcel is no fool. He knows an empowered werewolf army would mean the end of vampires in New Orleans. The explosion is his way of saying he means to prevent that, for all the good it will do him."

"Well, it did him pretty damn well, didn't it?" Cassandra murmured in a low voice.

"This is my fault," Jackson looked from her to Elijah to Klaus. "I will find a way to fix it."

"No, Jackson," Cassandra shook her head. "You're hurt, and no one is blaming you."

"I'm blaming you," Klaus stared at the back of Jackson's head, prompting Cassandra to turn and throw him an icy glance in return. "Those stones will be hard to replace. Fortunately, I always have a backup plan."

"Of course you do," Cassandra gave a soft, unsurprised shake of her head. "So what is this backup plan of yours?"

Klaus's lips slowly curled upward into a mischievous grin. "Follow me."

She got up from the couch and left the room with them. They made their way over to the balcony overlooking the courtyard Cassandra's eyes widened in surprise when they landed on Francesca Correa waking down the center of the area with three men dressed in suits following behind her.

"Seriously? Francesca Correa?" Cassandra hissed as she followed Klaus down the stairs. "She's a gangster."

"I see her more as a means to procuring rare items at short notice," Klaus answered without turning his head back towards Cassandra. He flashed Francesca a friendly smile as they reached the bottom of the stairs and approached her, though Cassandra kept her distance, standing a foot behind Klaus. "Greetings, Ms. Correa. I see you've brought company."

"These are my brothers," she looked over her shoulder to acknowledge the men standing behind her. "I always include them in delicate business matters. Fellas, meet Mr. Mikaelson."

"Please," Klaus held up a hand. "Call me Klaus. All my friends do."

"I don't know if I'd call us friends, " she turned around to her brothers who were holding up a silver briefcase on its side and waited as she opened it and took out a small, black velvet pouch. "But if you and Marcel are planning on having a little throwdown, I'd prefer my family to be on the same side as the inevitable victor."

Klaus tilted his head slightly as he watched her. "Then you have what I asked for?"

"Not enough for an army at such short notice," Francesca placed the velvet pouch in Klaus's outstretched hand. "But it's a start."

"Strange, I wasn't aware she was familiar with our plan," Elijah's velvety voice rang out as he came down the stairs to join them. He came to a stop beside Klaus who was holding one of the black kyanite stones between this thumb and index finger, wearing a pleased smirk on his face.

"My price for doing business is full disclosure. Your brother complied," Francesca told Elijah.

"How does the human faction expect to benefit from all this?" Elijah looked from Klaus to Francesca.

"I only want us to solidify our allegiance to the ruling class," Francesca tilted her head as her lips curled into a lopsided smile. "It's good for business."

"If only everyone shared your capacity for reason," Klaus smiled at her.

"Sadly, they don't," Francesca's smile faded away as her tone grew serious. "Marcel is being especially vindictive. I'm worried he might come after me or my family just for meeting with you. It might be in our best interests if we combine our efforts."

"So be it," Klaus gave a curt nod of his head. "The more bodies we have defending the compound, the better. Let's get started, shall we?"

Cassandra couldn't believe her ears. She didn't trust Francesca at all, and it irritated her that Klaus had gone to her without talking to her and Elijah first. Leaving them to finalize their plans, and before she could no longer bite her tongue, she turned on her heal and trudged back upstairs to help Jackson take care of his wounds. She dug out some gauze from a cupboard in the bathroom and dampened a cloth. Carrying both, she had him move to a chair next to the light and take his left arm out of his shirt so the wound on his upper arm could be cleaned and wrapped.

"I can't believe him," she hissed softly as she handed Jackson the damp cloth. "That woman had something to do with the bombings at the Bayou. I don't get good vibes from her."

"Me either," Jackson murmured. "But if we still get those moonlight rings at the end of the day, I don't care who Klaus enlists."

"I guess," Cassandra nodded. Once he was finished cleaning up his arm, Cassandra wrapped it up with gauze. "There. Good as new."

Jackson glanced up at her, an appreciate smile on his face. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," she casually folded her arms and rested them on top of her round stomach as he stood up. "It was Elijah who vamped you to safety in the nick of time."

"Yeah. He really seems to care about you," Jackson noted as he slipped his bandaged arm back into his shirt and buttoned it up. "

Cassandra glanced down at the ground, smiling bashfully. "Yeah. He does. So does Klaus."

"Maybe, but he wasn't the one in the Bayou helping my pack after not one, but two bombing attacks," Jackson pointed out. "Look, all I'm saying is sometimes actions speak volumes louder than words. Anyway, I got to go get back to the Bayou before the moon rises, so…"

He started to walk past her when she turned around and called out to him. "Jackson, this will be the last time. After tonight, you'll never have to turn again. No more pain, no more hiding in the Bayou. For any of you. I promise."

"You know, Klaus isn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He's doing it for you, Cassandra. You're the one who's gonna change everything for us," he murmured. Cassandra gave him a tiny smile and watched as he turned around again and came face to face with Elijah. "Seems I owe you yet again."

Elijah remained silent, looking down as Jackson passed by him. Once Jackson had left the room, Elijah looked back up and met Cassandra's eyes. She gazed back at him curiously. "I understand he risked his life to save his friend." He walked up to her. "He's a good man."

"Yeah, he is," Cassandra nodded. She let out a small breath as she turned to look out of the window. "Do I want to know how much you heard of my conversation with him?"

"He's not wrong, you know," Elijah spoke softly after a long moment. "I do care about you. Very much so."

Cassandra slowly turned to face him. "Elijah—"

"It was wrong of me to kiss you," he cut her off. "I need to apologize."

"Oh. Okay. Well, apology accepted," Cassandra gave him a weak smile. She hated the awkwardness she was feeling around him and desperately wanted to walk away. She started to step past him when he reached for her hand, clasping it between both of his.

"Wait. Please. I need to say something else," he pleaded with his eyes. She nodded and turned her body so she was facing him. "A thousand years ago, Niklaus and I fell for the same woman. It tore us both apart. Once we mended things I made a vow that I would never let that happen again. I know how much he loves you, and you him. That, along with the safety and wellbeing of both you and your child, are the most important things in the world to me."

"What about your own happiness? You deserve to fall in love, too."

"Perhaps one day I will, in a century from now, or a dozen. Until such time, I shall be quite content knowing how happy both you and my brother are. Although, you should know," he paused and cracked a small smile. "You've raised the bar unequivocally high as far as expectations in a significant other go."

"Wow. That's…um…thank you?" Cassandra laughed softly as heat rose in her cheeks.

"You're welcome," he chuckled softly, releasing her hand so she could leave.

She started to walk away, and then turned back around after a few steps. "You should know…I decided to wait until after the baby is born to tell him you kissed me. I don't want to keep it from him, but at the same time, I don't want to see him get raging mad at you either. I thought waiting and telling him while he's holding her in his arms would soften the blow some."

"That's not necessary, but I appreciate it," he smiled at her. She smiled back before turning to leave the room.

-o-

Cassandra and Elijah stood in the cellar with Klaus a little while later, watching Genevieve complete the spell on the black kyanite stones which would allow them to become set in rings for the wolves. Cassandra had been put off by the fact that Klaus allowed his own blood to be used, but she said nothing. She could feel his hand on her back and did her very best to remain at ease over the situation. They were joined by Francesca before the spell was complete.

"My people say Marcel is on the move and he's bringing friends," she spoke in a hurried, nervous voice.

Klaus let out a ragged breath as he tightened his jaw and met Elijah's eyes. "Get Cassandra to safety," he ordered in a low voice. He turned around and left her before she could protest.

Elijah rushed around the long table Genevieve was working at over to Cassandra and tugged on her arm. "Come with me."

"And leave her alone with the rings? No way. Someone needs to watch her," Cassandra turned her head towards him. She could tell from the look in his eye that he didn't want her to stick around.

Francesca's eyes darted back and forth between Cassandra and Elijah before settling on Elijah. "You should help Klaus. My brothers and their security detail won't be much against a vampire army. I'll stay with Cassandra."

"Go, Elijah," Cassandra nodded her head. She walked up to him and lowered her voice. "And don't hold back. Either of you."

He stared at her for a long moment before rushing away to join the fight. Cassandra turned back around and kept her gaze focused on Genevieve. A few minutes later, one of Francesca's security detail came rushing into the cellar.

"Ms. Correa, we need to go. Your brothers are already heading out the back," he told her.

"Not yet," she held up a hand, her eyes glued to the table like Cassandra's.

A soft buzzing began in the quiet moments that followed. Cassandra had been carrying her phone in her hand when she first came down into the cellar with Elijah and had placed in the table. She picked it up and saw the words _Incoming Call – Cami_ flashing back at her. She didn't want to talk to her around either of these women and sent the call to her voicemail with a soft breath before quietly placing her phone back onto the table.

A moment later Genevieve stopped chanting and picked up one of the stones. "The stones are finished," she announced. "I've done my part. Now it's up to you."

Relief flooded Cassandra as she stepped over to her. "I'll get them to the Bayou."

"Actually, she was talking to me," Francesca walked across the room to the other side of Genevieve and held out her hand. Cassandra glanced up at her, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"What the hell is this?" she snapped, turning to Genevieve.

"Call it a side deal," Francesca smirked as Genevieve placed the stone she'd been holding into her hand. She met Cassandra's eyes. "Point is, I'm taking the stones."

"Are you out of your mind?" Cassandra hissed as she walked around Genevieve to catch up to Francesca. "You think that the humans can go up against Klaus?"

"No, I don't," Francesca shook her head. "But I'm not human."

Cassandra watched in horror as Francesca pulled out a pocket knife and flipped out the blade, using it to slice her bodyguard's neck. He let out a gurgled gasp before falling to the ground in a dead heap. A second later, Francesca began to gasp and leaned forward to catch her breath. When she leaned back and met Cassandra's eyes, Cassandra was met with a pair of amber gold eyes giving her a menacing stare in return.

"I'm like your friends in the Bayou, Cassandra," she smirked. "And now I'm gonna take back my town."

"Like hell you are," Cassandra gave a low growl. She had no idea how she was going to stop this woman, but she knew she'd worked too hard, come too far to give up without a fight. She barely took a step before Genevieve raised a hand and began to cast a spell. Cassandra let out a loud gasp and grabbed her stomach before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the floor unconscious.

Francesca smiled and walked past her to Genevieve. She cupped her hands allowing the witch to fill them with the stones gathered from the table, though from the look on Genevieve's face, she was far from happy with the way things had played out.

"Don't look so sour, Genevieve. We both got what we wanted," Francesca whispered.

* * *

Outside on the empty streets of the Quarter, Klaus had Marcel pinned down the ground while he threw punch after punch at him. When Marcel stopped putting up a fight, Klaus relented and stood back up, allowing Marcel to get back onto his feet. When Marcel tried to lunge at him again, Klaus blocked him and grabbed his head, pinning him to the hood of the car they were standing next to.

"Is there no end to your defiance?" Klaus growled. "You summoned Mikael, turned Rebekah against me, tried to bury me in your garden, and yet you always fail." He paused and pulled Marcel up, spinning him around so they were facing each other. As he grabbed Marcel by the neck with both hands, his eyes began to glisten with tears. "What is there left to do, but put you out of your misery?"

He let out a bellowing growl as he tapped into his hybrid nature and bared his golden eyes and sharp fangs at Marcel before chomping down on his neck. Marcel yelled out in pain and slapped uselessly at Klaus's arms. As he pulled away, Klaus began to let out startled gasps of pain. He looked down at his left hand as the cut from when he'd sliced his hand for Genevieve's spell reappeared. He gasped again and bent over as he caught his breath. He wasn't sure what was going on, what was weakening him, but he knew whatever it was wasn't good. He grabbed his head as a second wave of whatever was draining him of his strength rolled through him. When he'd regained his bearings, he turned around and growled at Marcel again, flashing his hybrid face and prompting Marcel to vanish in the blink of an eye.

Klaus took off and jogged into the nearest bar. Inside, a janitor was mopping the floor. "I'm sorry mate, but I'm a bit famished," Klaus briskly walked up to the guy and grabbed him, biting into his neck to feed. He lowered him to the ground as he drank feverishly. When he was done, he raised his head with a loud gasp as blood trickled down his jaw. He lifted his left hand and stared down at it, letting out a loud groan.

"Ha," Genevieve walked into the room with a laugh. "You look awful."

Klaus scooted away from the janitor's body and hung over his knees as he knelt on the floor. "Why aren't I healing? What have you done to me?"

"Well, you were the one who wanted me to cast the spell. So I made your stones by linking their power to your blood," Genevieve slowly strutted over to him. "And now each full moon whenever a werewolf uses their power to keep from turning, they will be drawing from your strength and causing you pain."

"After all I offered you, you will betray me?" Klaus looked up at her.

Genevieve walked the rest of the way over to him and knelt down in front of him. She grabbed his chin and raised his head up. "Look me in the eyes, Nik. Were you ever planning to give me your mother's grimoire?"

"I suppose you'll never know," Klaus hissed back at her in a soft, menacing voice. Genevieve released her grip and lowered her hand before slowly rising to her feet.

"Francesca kept her end of the deal," she snickered and turned on her heal, taking a few steps towards the door. "There is, after all, honor among thieves, even if they are werewolves. And as for you," she paused and turned back around to face him, a sneer on her face. "the great irony is, in wanting to take the city, you've lost everything—your sister Rebekah, your adopted son Marcel, and now even your child and her mother will suffer, all because of your greed."

Klaus crawled over to one of the bar chairs and tried to pull himself up to his feet as she spoke. When she was finished, he let out a loud growl and tried to lunge toward her, but he toppled over the bar chair and fell to the ground in a heap.

"I will kill you," he whispered, raising his head to look up at her.

"As weak as you are?" she looked down at him. "Doubtful." She raised her hand and cast a spell, making him grab his head and yell out in agony until he passed out and fell over onto the floor.

* * *

"No!" Cassandra cried out as two male witches gripped her by the arms and dragged her down the center aisle at St. Anne's church. She struggled against their grip, dragging her feet against the floor, but it was to no avail.

"Get her down on the floor," Genevieve ordered as she followed behind them.

"We should take her to the city of the dead," Monqiue suggested as she walked beside Genevieve.

"We won't make it," Genevieve replied as Cassandra was lowered down onto the steps leading up to the pulpit. "The baby's coming now."

"No," Cassandra gasped. She wasn't due for three more weeks. "It's too soon—AH!" She grabbed her stomach and let out a bloodcurdling yell as a contraction hit her body.

"Apparently not," Genevieve started to walk towards her when Monique grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"The plan was to induce her when the sacrifice was ready," Monique hissed.

"I had to subdue her and the trauma caused a placental abruption," Genevieve growled back waved Monique's grip away. "So the baby is coming, and we'll just have to adapt."

"No! Let me go!" Cassandra screamed and fought against the witch hands holding her down.

Genevieve rushed over and knelt down in front of Cassandra's knees and grabbed her arm from one of the witches, relieving them, while Monique scurried over to the other side of Cassandra and did the same. "You need to be calm, Cassandra."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Cassandra squeaked. Genevieve looked down, unable to answer.

"To be reborn, we must sacrifice," Monique answered instead.

"What the hell does that mean, you psychotic, little bitch?" Cassandra yelled as she fought as hard as she could against their grip.

"The ancestors demand an offering in exchange for power," Genevieve answered.

"And your child will be a fine offering," Monique finished.

Cassandra looked from her back to Genevieve, crying out in horror. "No. No!" She began to look at all of the witches gathering around her and felt all of the hatred towards them for all of the attempts they'd made on her and her baby's life bubbling inside of her. "You will _not_ take my baby! I will kill _all of you!"_

"No, you won't," Monique stared her in the eyes. "And neither will Klaus or Elijah. When your baby is born, we will offer it up to those who came before us."

Cassandra couldn't speak. All she could do was whimper in fright.

"I'm sorry, Cassandra," Genevieve sighed sadly. "But this is the way it had to be."

Cassandra began shaking her head over and over. "No!" she cried out. "NO!"

She yelled as loud as she possibly could. She hoped against hope that Klaus was outside and would hear her. He did. He was trudging down the street when he locked onto her screams. Like a bull scuffing the ground with its hooves as it prepared to attack, Klaus took a few deep breaths before becoming fully enraged and roared at the top of his lungs.


	21. As One Life Ends Another Begins

**It's finally time guys. Little Hope is about to make her big entrance into this little story world. I know it's been a long time coming. If you thought the last chapter was intense, hold on to something 'cause you ain't seen nothin' yet! I know this chapter is on the shorter side, but it absolutely had to end where it ended. I promise it is jam-pack with all kinds of action. It's intense and emotional, there's some death and some new life, so brace yourselves. I want to thank all of you for the incredible words you left me. I'm blown away every single time. I was very pleased to see majority of you liked how Elijah apologized to Cassandra for kissing her. I don't know how many times I replayed that conversation in my mind to make sure it sounded like something he would actually say. I can't wait to see what you all have to say about this. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 21 - As One Life Ends Another Begins**

Twelve Hours Earlier

Cassandra leaned back in the rocking chair in the nursery, her bare feet propped up on the small footstool as she scribbled away in a notebook resting on the arm of the chair. She had been up for a while, and decided to do something special with her time while things were quiet and peaceful.

"Writing me a love letter?" Klaus appeared in the doorway with a cheeky grin on his face and his arms loosely folded across his chest.

Cassandra let out a soft chuckle as she glanced up at him for a brief moment before resuming her writing. "Maybe I'm writing one to your brother."

"Not funny," he shook his head from side to side.

"Oh, I thought it was. Anyway, to answer your question, I'm writing a letter to her," she pointed at her stomach. She let out a gasp as the baby gave a good kick inside of her and placed a hand on her baby bump. "Woah."

Klaus smiled and knelt down, placing a hand next to hers on her stomach as he spoke softly. "And how is our littlest wolf?"

The baby moved again, as if to answer his question. Klaus and Cassandra stared at each other with wide, happy eyes, enjoying the rare moment.

"I think she likes the sound of your voice. Mine too," Cassandra murmured.

"Of course she does," Klaus smiled. "We're her parents." He leaned down and gently kissed Cassandra's stomach before rising to his feet. "Well, I'll just leave you to your letter. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will," Cassandra nodded. When he was gone, she went back to writing.

 _To my sweet little girl,_  
 _Your dad just asked if I was writing him a love letter. I made a joke that it was for his brother and he didn't find it very funny. I thought it was. Then I told him I was writing to you. Your dad and I can't wait to finally meet you and hold you in our arms. I wanted you to know how happy I am at this very moment, and I want to make you a promise of three things I will make certain you always have: a safe home, someone to tell you that they love you every single day, and someone to fight for you, no matter what. In other words, a family. So, there you go, baby girl. The rest we're going to have to figure out together. I love you._  
 _Your mom._

Present Time

Cassandra continued to yell and thrash around as the witches moved her onto the altar table and removed her clothing from the lower half of her body in preparation for her delivery. She fought against the arms that pinned her down.

"LET GO OF ME YOU BITCH!" She leaned forward slightly as she screamed at Genevieve. She lay her head back down as Genevieve spoke to her in a soothing voice in an attempt to keep her calm.

The doors to the church swung open, causing Cassandra to turn her head. Relief flooded her body as Klaus came storming in, remnants of blood trailing down his jaw. Cassandra leaned forward and stared at him with wide eyes. He marched forward as one of the male witches left the group surrounding Cassandra and ran towards him. Klaus let out a growl as he scissor-chopped the witches head clean off his body. Monique ran around the table and stood next to Abigail. Together they raised their hands and began to chant a spell. Klaus was lifted off of the ground and thrown against a tapestry covered wall above the table where Cassandra lay. He struggled against an invisible force holding him against the wall, unable to break free. Cassandra rolled her head from side to side and moaned loudly from the pain of another contraction.

Genevieve picked up a dagger from a small table against the wall and met Klaus's horror-stricken eyes as she went over to stand at the end of the altar by Cassandra's feet. "You should know this brings me no joy. I promise I'll make it quick." Cassandra let out another loud yell as a sheet was draped over her lower body, preserving what little dignity she had left, as Genevieve looked around at the others there to help her. "Let's begin, shall we?"

"No, no!" Cassandra pleaded, shaking her head over and over. She pressed her legs firmly together, but Genevieve was quick to push them open again.

"You can't stop the baby from coming, Cassandra" Genevieve murmured softly.

"Like hell I can't!" Cassandra growled. As soon as the words left her mouth another contraction hit and the need to start pushing became too powerful to ignore. "NO! AAH!"

She cried in agony as her body failed to listen to her and her muscles began working on their own. It was nothing like how she'd imagined it would be. Sure, she knew it would be painful, but she always thought she'd have Klaus right beside her, holding her hand and helping her through every second of it. Instead, they were both experiencing a horrendous nightmare.

"I will bring hell to your doorstep!" Klaus roared at the top his lungs in between Cassandra's screams as he watched helplessly from the wall he was pinned against. "I will bathe in rivers of your blood!"

"One last push. Baby's almost here," Genevieve urged Cassandra on.

"No! No!" Cassandra cried, shaking her head over and over.

"I can see the baby!" Monique gasped excitedly.

"Ok. Now push!" Genevieve ordered. Cassandra gripped the edge of the table as she yelled and put everything she had left into one final push. "Gently, gently. There."

Cassandra gasped loudly for breath and slowly lifted her head up as the room quieted down and the first soft whimpering cries of her baby could be heard. She watched in wonder as one of the witches used the dagger to cut the umbilical cord while Genevieve wrapped the baby in a small sheet and held her in her arms.

"You have a beautiful baby daughter," Genevieve glanced up at Klaus briefly before looking down at the baby. "We must start the sacrifice as soon as the moon sets with the morning sky."

"Please," Cassandra begged in a soft voice. "Please can I hold her?"

She sat up as Genevieve walked around the table and carefully placed the baby in her awaiting arms. Cassandra stared down at her beautiful little girl, and glanced up at Klaus as her eyes brimmed with tears. Before she could say anything to him, Monique grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back before slicing her throat with the dagger.

"NO!" Klaus yelled as blood spilled down Cassandra's neck. She grabbed her chest as she gagged and gasped for breath before sinking into a cold pit of darkness, her body falling limply back onto the table. Genevieve scooped up the crying baby and made her way down the aisle with the witches at her side. Klaus yelled at them as they left, but was quickly silenced as Monique waved her hand and snapped his neck. He fell to the floor with a loud thud.

After pulling himself up onto his feet a short time later, he stumbled over to where Cassandra's body lay and scooped her into his arms. He sunk to the floor and gently rocked her as tears streamed down his face.

"Cassandra!" Elijah's voice rang out as he came running into the church a little while later. He slowed to a stop and gasped for breath as his eyes landed on Klaus at the front of the church. "No…"

He trudged down the aisle and came to a stop in front of Klaus and Cassandra, his eyes immediately landing on her slit throat, and dropped to his knees.

"She's gone, Elijah," Klaus whispered. "I-I couldn't save her."

Elijah slowly stretched out his hand and gently caressed Cassandra's cold cheek as his eyes filled with tears. He hung his head, shaking it in disbelief. It was then that Klaus noticed his neck.

"You've been bitten," he murmured as Elijah leaned back with a soft, defeated breath. He slowly raised his head to meet Klaus's red, teary eyes and stared in awe as Klaus brought his wrist to his mouth and bit into it before holding it out to him. After healing his brother, Klaus carefully stood up and placed Cassandra's body back onto the table. He caressed her cheek and leaned down, pressing his lips against her clammy forehead.

"How?" Elijah murmured softly.

"I was bested," Klaus muttered in a low voice. It was not what Elijah wanted to hear.

"You were bested," Elijah repeated. He tilted his head as his lips began to quiver in anger. He took a few steps away from the stage before turning back around as he began to shout. "You…WERE BESTED?! My invincible brother?"

Klaus turned around and slowly walked up to him. "They took the baby, but there's still time," he whispered. Elijah stared back at him, his lips parted in surprise. "We can save her."

They hurried out of St. Anne's and vamp-sped through the dark and deserted streets to the one place they were sure the witches had gone to—Lafayette Cemetery. They barreled through the wrought iron gate and began combing the rows of tombs for signs of the witches and the baby.

"The tombs are empty, the grounds are deserted," Elijah did a full three-sixty turn as they rounded a corner. He let out a roar of frustration. "She's not here."

"This is the only place they can be," Klaus looked from side to side as they walked. "We'll keep searching."

"They are not here, Niklaus. We're wasting time!" Elijah shouted.

Klaus stopped a few steps ahead and turned around to face him. "Their harvest was here. The reaping was here. They are about to perform a ritual which will feed their ancestors for centuries, ancestors who are buried _here!_ " He waved his hand around, motioning around him as he spun back around a came to an abrupt stop facing a tomb with an angel statue on the top of it. He narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at it. "This statue. We have passed by this three times all whilst going in the same direction."

Elijah stared at it for a moment, then turned to the tomb he was standing next to and ran his fingertips over it as the wheels in his head began pondering their newly discovered conundrum. Klaus watched him, waiting for him to share what he'd figured out.

"They have fabricated some kind of illusion," Elijah whispered as he walked up to Klaus and met his eyes.

Klaus was silent and motionless for a mere second before whooshing up onto the nearest tomb. "That's one word for it," he murmured as he stared at the massive miles long maze of tombs stretched out before them.

* * *

Cami slowly moved the panel in the closet at her Uncle Kieran's secret apartment and led Marcel and Davina inside the hidden room with shelves of weapons and artifacts.

"So this is what Kieran was hiding," Marcel looked around.

"More like stockpiling," Cami folded her arms. "From what I can gather, it's mostly weapons."

"Dark objects created by witches," Davina confirmed as looked around at everything.

"And co-opted by the humans," Marcel added. He turned to Cami. "Kieran's been keeping this a secret for years. You really sure you want to show me all this?"

"You said knowing my uncle's secrets could get me killed," Cami told him. "But what if those same secrets could save the life of my friends?"

"Look at this," Davina called out. She walked over to them holding a golden throwing star. "I learned about it at the Lycée. It's called the Devil's Star. They say one throw can make a thousand cuts."

"A thousand cuts sounds about right. I need to make Klaus bleed," Marcel nodded his head. Davina placed the Devil's Star gently into his awaiting hand.

* * *

"It's ingenious," Klaus let out breath as he used a white rock he'd found to draw a line on the side of the tomb they'd just passed. He and Elijah had been wandering for hours, and now the morning sun was shining brightly in the sky. "I can see them, I can feel them, and yet they are not real."

"There has to be away," Elijah sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "Even if we could just push through."

"What we need to do is focus," Klaus told him.

Elijah had been standing with his back to Klaus and quickly spun around after his last remark, hissing back at him. "My only focus right now is that child and her safety, do you understand me? This," he stretched out his arms, "all of this is the world that you created, Niklaus."

"Brother—"

"All of your scheming, the enemies that you have made every single day of your miserable life. What results did you expect? That your child would be born into a happy life, that the mother, the woman you loved, would be alive to know her daughter, that we could live and thrive as some sort of family?"

"I was doing what was necessary to make this city safe for them!" Klaus growled.

"And a lot of good that did you. This was our hope. This was our family's hope, and now she is gone…" Elijah trailed off as his ragged breathing slowly calmed down. When he started to speak again, his voice began to tremble. "I fell for her, Niklaus. Last week when we nearly lost her, I was beside myself with emotions and I...I kissed her."

"You what?" Klaus whispered, blinking in surprise.

"I told her yesterday that it was a mistake and that what the two of you feel for each other is more important to me than anything else. _I walked away from my deepest desires, for you brother!_ But none of that matters now," Elijah's voice choked up as his bottom lip began to quiver. "She is gone, and I am…broken."

He walked over and sat down on the stoop of a nearby tomb, hanging his head down as he worked to hold himself together. Klaus watched him for a brief second before walking over and taking a seat beside him. He set down the rock in his hand and reached over, placing the same hand on Elijah's arm and patting it gently.

"We can tell my daughter how much we both cared for her mother when we save her," he whispered. Elijah looked up at him, his eyes red and brimming with tears that were about to fall, and stared in disbelief. Klaus gave him a small nod, confirming he meant every word.

* * *

Cassandra opened her eyes with a loud gasp and grabbed her throat as she turned her head from side to side, taking in her surroundings. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the altar table and looked around, whimpering softly in frightened confusion. She was completely alone in the church. Out of habit she moved a hand to her stomach and gasped in surprise at the absence of a baby bump. In that moment her mind was flooded with the memories of what had happened in the church—the birth of her baby, Klaus being pinned to the wall above her, and her throat being slit. She let out a loud gasp and clutched her throat again as she relived the moment in her mind.

An anger she had never felt before towards the witches who had done this to her rose inside of her. She had a fairly good idea about what was happening to her now, but her main focus was rescuing her daughter. Not even the fierce hunger for blood growing inside her would stop her.

With a piercing look of determination in her eyes, she hopped off the table and quickly collected her shoes from where they'd been tossed after they'd been removed from her feet. She put them back on and hurried to the back of the church. She slowly opened the door and hissed as the bright sunlight burned her eyes. She used her hand to shield her face as she ventured outside and waited for her vision to adjust. Once she could see, she didn't have to think twice about where to go. There was only one place in all of New Orleans where the witches would be at to perform the ceremony to sacrifice her baby.

She walked down the street as quickly as she could without stumbling. The last thing she wanted to do was attract any unwanted attention. It would only delay her, and that was the last thing she wanted or needed. She had no trouble locating Lafayette Cemetery. She had been able to spot the entrance gate from a couple blocks away. The second she passed through them she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was in the right place.

She made a series of right and left turns down different aisles of tombs and came to a sudden halt when she heard Elijah's familiar voice coming from inside an open crypt. She turned and walked in, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness illuminated by glowing candles. She felt a huge rush of relief to see both Elijah and Klaus, even though their backs were to her.

"Then we move faster," Klaus murmured as Elijah drew a white line on the tomb wall next to three that were already there.

"Or smarter," Cassandra called out, causing Klaus and Elijah to turn around at the exact same time. Their jaws dropped at the sight of her standing in the tomb doorway.

"Cassandra," Elijah whispered as she slowly walked forward. Even though she felt determination on the inside, on the outside she looked dazed and exhausted. She continued walking until she came to a stop in front of them. Both Klaus and Elijah stretched out a hand to cup either side of her face. "How are you here?"

"I woke up in the church," Cassandra met their eyes. "I felt this hunger. I knew what I needed. I can feel her. She's here. I can feel my baby."

Klaus eyed her for a long moment, taking in everything she'd just said. Then it dawned on him. "You died with the baby's blood in your system," he paused and flicked his eyes onto Elijah. "She's in transition."

"She needs to feed on human blood to complete it," Elijah finished.

Cassandra moved her head back and forth, shaking their hands away from her face and took a few steps away from them. "I don't care about me," she spoke and turned around to face them again and met Klaus's gaze. "I'm gonna go find our daughter."

She left the tomb with Klaus and Elijah hot on her heels. The baby was like a beacon for her, leading her through the maze to where the witches had gathered to perform the ceremony. As she led Klaus and Elijah, she walked with renewed purpose in her steps and determination in her eyes.

She knew they were incredibly close when she could hear the cries of her baby and confirmed it when they rounded the next corner. They stared in horror as Genevieve stood holding a long knife above the baby.

"NO!" Cassandra yelled.

Elijah grabbed a nearby urn and lobbed it straight at Genevieve, knocking the knife out of her hand and pushing her back against the tomb wall she was in front of at the same time. Cassandra, Elijah, and Klaus all took off running towards the witches, prompting Monique and Abigail to link hands and cast a spell that sent them flying backwards. They landed on the ground with loud groans.

"You fools!" Monique bellowed loudly at them with her arm outstretched. "To come against us in our place of power, in our strongest hour. You don't face three. You face us all."

Cassandra slowly crawled back onto her feet and looked Klaus. He, too, was standing again and gave her a nod, then they turned and took off running in opposite directions. Cassandra headed towards Genevieve and the dagger. Genevieve had been reaching down to pick it up, but Cassandra kicked it out of her hand before she could get anywhere with it. She made a fist and threw a hard punch at Genevieve's face, catching her completely off guard and shoved her back against the nearest tomb wall. Cassandra took another swing, and then back handed her as hard as she could, sending her onto the ground. She spun her head towards the table where her baby lay and started to run toward it, but Genevieve was quick to raise a hand and begin casting a spell, stopping her in her tracks. Cassandra let out a yell as she grabbed her head and fell to her knees.

After being magically thrown into a tomb by the ghosts of Papa Tunde's twin sons, Klaus sprang back to his feet and broke off a spike from a wrought iron fence less than a foot away from him. With a loud, ferocious growl, he threw it like a spear straight towards Abigail, impaling her in the stomach as the force of his throw sent her backwards and pinned her to the brick tomb wall behind them, killing her almost instantly. Her death effectively broke the magical connection she'd formed with Monique and their ancestors.

Monique sprinted over to where the dagger had landed on the ground and grabbed it before running over to the altar where the baby was. She held it high above her head, intending to finish what Genevieve had started. Klaus whooshed towards her, but she was quick to raise her hand and cast a spell that created a wall of fire, blocking Klaus and Elijah.

Cassandra looked up and began to scream when she saw Monique holding the knife above her baby. "NO! AAHH!"

Before Monique could plunge the dagger into the baby, she was hit in the stomach by a golden star—the Death Star. As her wall of fire instantly evaporated into nothingness, Klaus and Elijah turned their heads to see Marcel standing behind them. Monique's body instantly became covered in cuts and she began gasping for breath as blood poured out of her mouth. She held onto the edge of the altar for a moment, raising her head briefly before falling to the ground in a dead heap.

Marcel whooshed to the altar and scooped up the baby into his arms. He turned around, taking in the sight of Cassandra struggling with Genevieve and met Klaus and Elijah's eyes before disappearing from their sight, holding the baby close to his chest. Klaus nodded at Elijah and disappeared after him.

Elijah sped over and quickly subdued Genevieve, ending her torturous hold over Cassandra. They dragged her inside the tomb she'd used earlier to prepare for the sacrifice, and Elijah locked metal shackles that hung from the walls to her wrists, imprisoning her.

"Why?" Cassandra tightened her jaw as she stared at her, the same knife Genevieve had intended on using to killing her daughter with in her hand.

"The ancestors left me no choice," Genevieve answered quickly.

"You were willing to sacrifice an innocent baby for more power."

"Oh, not just power," Genevieve shifted her wait nervously from one foot to the other. "It was the ancestors' decree." Her voice softened. "It was _her_ decree."

Elijah grabbed her throat and turned her head towards him, making her let out a frightened gasp. "It was whose decree?" he asked in a low, sharp voice.

"I'm surprised you have to ask," a smile appeared on Genevieve's face as she started to laugh. "After all, you were the one who convinced your siblings to consecrate her on New Orleans soil."

"Esther," Cassandra murmured, remembering the ceremony they'd performed a few months ago.

Elijah released his hold on Genevieve's neck with a forceful backwards motion, making her head bump the wall with a thud. He slowly turned toward Cassandra, a fierce look of loathing and hatred on his face as he took a few steps past her. "So not even death can stop my mother from seeking annihilation of her own flesh and blood."

"This isn't the end. As long as that child lives, the witches of New Orleans will never stop coming for it. Esther will never stop coming for it. It has been decreed. Your baby will be consecrated among her ancestors. She will not live." Genevieve began to cry as blood began dripping down her face from the corners of her eyes. "They're coming for me. I can feel it. I've failed them." She bowed her head for a moment, then lifted it to meet the cold eyes of Cassandra staring back at her. "Please. Understand, I just wanted to live. Please tell Klaus…I'm sorry."

She started to cough and gasp for breath as her throat and lungs began filling with blood. Cassandra rolled her eyes before stepping toward Genevieve and slammed the dagger into her stomach. Genevieve's eyes widened as she let out a breathless gasp. Cassandra pressed the dagger deeper into her and leaned in closer.

"I'm not," she murmured in a low voice. She let go of the dagger and headed out of the tomb as Genevieve let out a moan and took her final breath. Cassandra had barely stepped outside the tomb when a wave of pain came over her. She let out a yell as she grabbed her head and keeled over. Elijah instantly appeared at her side and held her by the waist to keep her from falling onto her knees. She slowly lifted her head as she gasped for breath and met his eyes.

"Oh my god!" he let out a breathy gasp when he found himself staring into her now golden yellow eyes. His next words came out in a whisper as he stared at her in disbelief. "You're a werewolf!"


	22. Hiding Hope

**Chapter 22 - Hiding Hope**

 _"Oh my god!" he let out a breathy gasp when he found himself staring into her now golden yellow eyes. His next words came out in a whisper as he stared at her in disbelief. "You're a werewolf!"_

"W-what?" Cassandra squeaked as the pain in her head subsided and her irises returned to their normal blue hue. "But that's impossible. My family doesn't have the gene. My mom, my dad, Caroline, they don't have it. So how is possible that I do? This doesn't make sense at all."

"I don't know, Cassandra," Elijah answered softly, letting go of her. "There will be plenty of time to figure it all out later. Right now we need to get you home to your baby so you can ingest her blood and complete your transformation.

Cassandra nodded silently and began to walk towards the entrance of the cemetery. After a few steps, a wave of wooziness hit her, making her feet falter slightly.

"I've got you," Elijah quickly caught her. Keeping an arm around her waist, he vamp-sped through the cemetery and down the streets of the Quarter back to the compound.

Once they were in the courtyard, Cassandra broke away from Elijah and sprinted up the stairs and down the hall on the second floor, skidding to a halt in front of the nursery doorway. Klaus was standing beside the crib, gazing down into it and looked over at her standing there. With her heart racing inside her chest, Cassandra stepped into the small room and walked over to stand beside him. When she peered down into the crib at her baby laying bundled up in a white sheet, her heart swelled. She turned around and grabbed a soft, fuzzy pink blanket from a big basket on the floor below the window and laid it in the crib beside the baby. She unfolded the sheet and carefully moved the baby over to the blanket, bundling it tightly around her before scooping her up into her arms. Klaus guided Cassandra over to the rocking chair and watched with an overjoyed smile on his face as Cassandra gently rocked back and forth with their daughter in her arms.

"You're safe now, baby girl," she whispered, lowering her lips down onto the top of her baby's head. Oh, how heavenly her baby scent was! Cassandra took a deep breath, letting the scent permeate her senses as much as she could. She was so focused on her baby that she hadn't noticed Klaus had left the room and reappeared a couple of minutes later until he spoke to her.

"You need to feed, sweetheart," he murmured and held up a glass tumbler with an inch of blood in it.

"She cannot drink that, Niklaus," Elijah appeared out of nowhere and reached out a hand to stop Klaus from handing Cassandra the glass. "It will kill her."

"What are you talking about, Elijah? She'll die if she doesn't feed on human blood and complete her transition," Klaus retorted.

"She's a werewolf. She needs to drink the baby's blood if she's to survive," Elijah told him calmly.

Klaus's eyes slowly widened in shock at this revelation. "What?" He whispered. "That's not possible."

"It is, Niklaus. I saw her eyes turn yellow moments after she killed Genevieve with the very blade meant for the baby," Elijah explained.

"I have no idea how," Cassandra pulled her eyes away from her baby and met Klaus's gaze. "I've been lied to my whole life or maybe I was switched at birth, or adopted, I don't know. I don't know how I could go my whole twenty-three years of life not knowing."

Klaus brought the glass to his lips and downed the blood in one gulp before setting it down on the dresser and walked over to the rocking chair where Cassandra sat. "It's alright, love," he murmured, reaching a hand out to caress her cheek. "We'll figure it out later."

"Brother," Elijah murmured and motioned with his head for Klaus to follow him. They left Cassandra in the nursery and went into Klaus's bedroom to talk. Though they spoke in low voices, Cassandra could hear every word and listened as Elijah told Klaus what Genevieve had told them about their mother, Esther.

"We should have felt our mother's hand in this," Klaus murmured, gradually lowering his voice as he spoke until it was a whisper. "We should have known she would not be bound by anything as obvious as death, and now she has control of the witches. They will never stop."

"No," Elijah agreed.

"Nor would I expect the Guerrera wolves to back down. They already see Cassandra as a threat with her loyalty to the Crescent Wolves. If they find out she is now like them, they will seek to eliminate her before she becomes an even bigger threat to their claim to leadership. They will use the baby to get to her. They'll never be safe," Klaus went on. "What was it you said to me earlier, that I've made enemies every day of my miserable life? Well, the worst of them are within these borders, brother. I have brought into the world a weapon they can use against me."

"Then we will arm ourselves," Elijah whispered with determination in his voice. "Brother, we've fought every adversary in this town and we have won, and we'll fight them again, no matter who they are. We'll make this home a fortress."

"I will not have her live her life as a prisoner."

"Then we leave here together, all of us."

Klaus still didn't see it as a viable option. "Wherever we go, however far we run, those who seek power and revenge will hunt us, they will hunt _her_. She has inherited all our enemies with none of our defenses."

"So whether we stay or we leave, we condemn her," Elijah realized.

The more she listened to the two of them talking, the more certain Cassandra was of what they needed to do. It would be the hardest thing she'd ever do in her life, but it was the best option for her daughter. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before slowly standing to her feet and quietly moved to the doorway to wait for an opening to speak.

"There is a third option," she murmured softly after Elijah had finally concluded staying or fleeing wasn't the solution. Klaus and Elijah turned their heads toward her as she slowly shuffled towards them. "It's what Caroline wanted to do to me when she saw how close Klaus and I were becoming."

She paused, meeting Klaus's eyes, and could tell he knew exactly what she was talking about. When she looked at Elijah, his face was riddled with confusion. She looked down, stealing a quick glance at her baby sleeping in her arms before continuing. "The night of the ball that your mother threw last fall, Caroline was waiting for me when I got back home. She wanted to compel me to forget Klaus completely and then get me out of town and far away from him. She almost succeeded too, but Klaus got there right as she had ripped my vervain necklace from around my neck."

"That's why you were at the mansion the next morning," Elijah realized.

"Yes," Cassandra nodded. "So you see, I believe the same principle can be applied here."

She could feel her eyes stinging with tears and stared down at her baby again as she fought to keep them at bay. When she looked back up at Klaus and Elijah, she began to get choked up as she spoke. "All I ever wanted was for our daughter to have a safe place to grow up in and to be loved and feel loved by her family just like I did. And yet here she is on her first day in this world with a grandmother that is bent on sacrificing her a-and a mother that has to drink the blood of her baby to survive transitioning into a h-hybrid, and I'm the one that loves her the most."

She was freely crying now as she stared down at her daughter. The room was silent, both Klaus and Elijah too stunned for words. Cassandra looked back up at them and spoke in a soft, calm voice. "I think the only thing to do is send her away while we stay behind and clean up the mess we've made."

While Klaus stared at the floor and worked to come to terms with sending the baby away, Elijah sprang up to his feet and shouted in dismay. "No! This is insane! You heard Genevieve. So long as she lives, that baby will be hunted."

Klaus slowly stood up and eyed Elijah as he moved to stand beside Cassandra. "Not if no one knows she lives."

Elijah blinked in surprise as he stared at Klaus, his lips parted slightly. "What is it that you intend to do, brother?"

"Whatever it takes," Klaus whispered. "To save our family."

They quickly formed a plan and went to work executing it. While Klaus went to recruit Marcel to help, Cassandra put the baby back in her crib and grabbed a quick shower before returning to the nursery to watch her baby sleep. It was strange for her to be able to see her own feet when she looked down and to wear her old clothes again.

She stood beside the crib, gazing at her baby while she brushed her damp hair. Another wave of wooziness hit her, making her begin to sway on her feet. She grabbed the side of the crib with her free hand to stabilize herself as Elijah appeared at her side and held onto her elbows.

"You need your baby's blood," he murmured.

"I know, but not til Klaus gets back. I'm not finishing my transition without him," she spoke with a firmness in her voice. Elijah nodded his head in understanding. When she was certain the wave had passed, she pulled herself away from him and went over to the dresser against the wall. She set her brush down on top of it and opened the top door. She quickly chose a pale pink onesie and carried it over to the crib where her baby was sleeping. As carefully as she could, she peeled back the fuzzy blanket and fitted the onesie over the baby's head. Once she was clothed, she rewrapped the blanket around her and rested her arms on top of the crib frame. "I still can't believe she's here."

"Nor can I," Klaus walked into the room. "It's done. I left a small framed sign with the words 'In Memorium: Baby Mikaelson' at the memorial wall on Rue Dumaine. That Francesca Guerra is spinning quite the cover story, I must admit, which works wonderfully in our favor. I—" He stopped talking and turned his head toward the door. "Well, that didn't take long."

"What is it?" Cassandra asked slowly, her heart pounding nervously inside her chest.

Klaus took a deep breath before meeting her eyes. "Your friend Camille is here. I gather she saw the sign for the baby and came to see you,"

"Oh my god!" Cassandra gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "I have to go to her, let her know I'm okay."

"That would not be wise," Klaus shook his head.

"She's my friend, Klaus. I won't tell her the truth. Plausible deniability and all that. I swear," she was adamant.

"No," Klaus spoke in a gentle, but firm voice. Cassandra let out a soft growl and turned to Elijah for help.

"I agree with Niklaus on this, Cassandra. I'm sorry," he murmured softly.

"She is coming up the stairs," Klaus announced. "I will go and speak to her. Stay here."

He walked out of the room before she could protest again. For a split second she considered making a run for it, but she knew she'd never get past Elijah so she pushed the thought out of her mind and simply stared at the doorway as Klaus and Cami's voices floated down the hallway.

"Klaus?" Cami rushed toward him. She had tears in her eyes. "The baby?"

"She died. A few hours after the Guerrera attack," he mumbled in a low voice.

Cami covered her mouth with her hand as she let out a gasp. "This is…this is all my fault."

"I can assure you it is not."

"No," Cami shook her head as tears fell down her cheeks. "If I hadn't hesitated, I could have uncovered Francesca's plot in time to stop it."

"And how would you have stopped the coven of witches in league with her? No. If anyone is to blame, I am."

"I am so, so sorry," Cami sighed. Her eyes widened as she remembered the other half of the baby equation. "Oh my god. Cassandra. I can't even…fathom the heartache she must be feeling right now."

"Yes," Klaus whispered. "She's completely devastated. We all are, but none more so than her. She'll need time before she's ready to face the world again."

"You'll tell her I came by, and how sorry I am for her...her loss. So, so sorry," Cami paused to choke back a sob. In the nursery, Cassandra silently wiped away the tears that began trickling down her cheeks as she listened to her friend's voice.

"I will," Klaus nodded. "You've been a good friend to her, Camille. I'm glad she has you."

"Thank you, Klaus. That means a lot coming from you," Cami murmured. She took one last look at him before turning around to leave.

Once she was gone, Klaus came back into the nursery. Cassandra was waiting for him and rushed towards him, throwing her arms around his neck as she choked back a sob. He held her close, rubbing her back in soothing motions until she'd calmed down.

"I hate that we have to lie to her of all people," Cassandra rested her chin on his shoulder. "But I get why."

"It's for the best," Klaus sighed softly.

"How did things go with Marcel?" Elijah asked once Klaus and Cassandra had pulled away from each other. "Did he play his part?"

Klaus nodded his head. "He managed to locate a stillborn baby in a hospital in upstate Louisiana."

"I trust he agreed to the terms," Elijah stated.

"He has agreed to allow me to compel him to forget what he knows of the baby. In exchange, he wants vials of my blood," Klaus answered.

"Please tell him how…how grateful I am for his saving my baby," Cassandra spoke in a soft voice.

"Of course," Klaus agreed to pass her sentiment on when he saw Marcel next.

"The witches will have to believe this," Elijah continued on in a quiet voice. "Soon, that fourth Harvest girl will resurrect. The coven will rebuild. If they sense that your child lives, they will hunt her."

Cassandra started to open her mouth to speak, but Klaus beat her to it. "The witches will buy what we sell. We just have to sell it properly."

"Then all that remains," Elijah murmured sadly. "Is to say goodbye."

While Klaus went to make arrangements with the one and only person he would entrust their baby with, Cassandra grabbed a big bag out of the closet in the nursery and filled it with diapers and baby clothes, blankets, and a few toys Her eyes landed on the envelope containing the letter she'd written to her daughter the previous morning. She walked over and picked it up. She held it in her hand for a long moment before stuffing it down into the front flap of the baby bag. There was only one more thing left to do.

Klaus reappeared in that moment and walked over to her. "Are you ready, sweetheart?"

She nodded silently and walked with him over to the crib where their baby was cooing softly. She reached down and carefully lifted her out of the blanket and into her arms with Klaus's help. Elijah placed a small needle in Klaus's waiting hand. Cassandra pinched her eyes shut and looked away as Klaus took the baby's tiny hand in his and pricked her thumb, causing a single drop of blood to appear. Cassandra raised her baby's tiny arm up and pressed her lips against her baby's thumb, sucking up the drop of blood and completing her transition into a hybrid.

"Ah!" She cried out, reaching up with one hand for her necklace and grabbed it by the chain. There was a fresh, pink heart shaped mark on her chest where the vervain filled pendant had been touching her skin.

"Well, I guess you won't be needing that anymore," Klaus murmured. He stepped around her and quickly unclasped the necklace for her.

She held the chain between her thumb and index finger and stared at it. A rush of emotions filled her as she recalled the moment Caroline had given it to her after Stefan had nearly killed her last fall.

"Can one of you just...remove the vervain that's inside so I can keep wearing it. Caroline gave this to me and I-I've grown so used to wearing it that I feel naked without it," her voice trembled.

"I'll take care of it," Elijah volunteered, holding out his hand. She gave him a grateful smile as she passed her necklace to him and watched him disappear from the room. He returned a minute later and walked over to stand behind her. He carefully moved her hair out of the way and reclasped the necklace around her neck.

"Thank you, Elijah," she whispered, placing her hand on top of the heart pendant as he moved her hair back into place.

"You're welcome," he nodded once. A long few moments of silence followed before Klaus finally spoke.

"They will be watching us," Klaus told them as he gazed longingly at the baby in Cassandra's arms. "All of them. The three of us leaving together will draw too much attention. I will go alone."

"What?" Cassandra squeaked. "But…that's not…I want to go with you!"

"I know, love. Believe me, I know. But it's not a good idea. I need you and Elijah to take your mourning public while I am gone so everyone will be focused on you, allowing me to slip away with our daughter unnoticed." He paused and cupped her cheek, wiping away her stray tears with his thumb. Cassandra nodded and carefully handed the baby to him.

She left with Elijah to pay her respects at the memorial. On the way they stopped and picked up a bouquet of flowers to bring to really sell their grief. When they got to the memorial wall at Rue Dumaine, Cassandra and Elijah slowly made their way through the crowd. Cassandra could feel everyone's eyes on her as she walked, clutching the bouquet tightly in her hands.

She had no trouble crying while she walked towards the memorial wall. Her eyes were glued to the little frame Klaus had left. When she reached it, she gently laid the flowers onto the ground and kissed her fingertips before placing them against the sign for her baby as she let out a quiet sob. With tears trickling down her cheeks she slowly turned around and found Elijah standing with his hand outstretched toward her. She walked up to him and slipped her hand into his, allowing him to escort her out of the crowd.

"Breathe," he murmured softly in her ear as they walked. She nodded and took a deep breath before letting it back out slowly.

* * *

Out on a dark road in the countryside, Klaus leaned against the hood of his black SUV while he rocked his swaddled baby in his arms and waited for her guardian to arrive. A few moments later the area around him lit up as bright headlights moved towards him. A red convertible with the top up pulled to a stop a few yards away from him and the driver got out of the car. Klaus began to walk towards them and came to a stop as they met at the halfway point between both vehicles.

His lips curled into a small smile when he looked up at his sister, Rebekah, who was smiling back at him. "Hello, sister," he murmured.

Rebekah tentatively reached a hand out to stroke the head of her baby niece. "Oh, she looks like her mother," she grinned. "Maybe there is a god after all."

Klaus grinned wildly as he let out a soft laugh and gazed down at his child. "Well, she has a hint of the devil in her eyes," he paused and glanced back at Rebekah. "That's all me." They shared another smile before he continued to speak. "You'll need a witch to cast a cloaking spell."

"I'll get one," Rebekah reassured him.

"No one can ever find her."

"I know what to do, Nik. Perhaps we'll get a white fence. I think that would be lovely."

Klaus shifted the baby so she was more upright in his arms, allowing him to look at her sleeping face. "This city would have seen you dead," he whispered. "But I will have it your home, and every soul who wishes you harm will be struck down. Just as sure as my blood runs in your veins, you will return to me and your mother."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against his baby's forehead, then lowered them and kissed her cheek. With one final glimpse, he placed her in Rebekah's waiting arms. As she lightly rocked the baby back and forth, Klaus reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the small, wooden horse he had carved for Rebekah a thousand years ago. She stared at it in awe as he placed on top of the baby. Rebekah covered it with her hand so it wouldn't fall.

"In spite of our differences, Rebekah, there is no one I would trust more with my daughter's life," he placed a hand on the back of her head as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Be happy, sister."

Rebekah wiped a stray tear from her eye as she glanced back at Klaus, smiling. "She will be happy, Nik. I promise. What's her name?"

His eyes were brimming with tears as he smiled back at her. "Hope. Her name is Hope."

* * *

The moment Cassandra and Elijah walked back into the courtyard at the compound Cassandra used her new hybrid speed for the first time to fly up the stairs to the bedroom she shared with Klaus. Elijah was right behind her, watching as she dug out her small suitcase from the closet and laid on the bed.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a gentle voice.

She unzipped the suitcase and lifted back the top flap before walking back to the closet. "I need answers, answers about where my werewolf gene came from," she carried a few outfits over and neatly laid them inside the suitcase before looking up at him. "There's only one place I can go to get them—home."

"Mystic Falls," he realized.

"Yep," she popped the 'p at the end of the word.

"I think it's a wise idea," Klaus's voice rang out as he appeared in the doorway. "Everyone will assume you went home to mourn with your mother and sister. They will be none the wiser of your true motives."

"I take it you don't want to come with me?" Cassandra turned toward him with her eyebrows raised, folding her arms across her chest.

"It's not that I don't want to, sweetheart," he walked towards her. "Someone needs to stay behind to look after things here. Besides, we both know I'm the last person anyone in Mystic Falls is going to want to see."

"I guess I can't argue with you there," Cassandra sighed. "It's fine. I'll be fine. I can do this on my own."

She disappeared into the bathroom to collect her toiletries, giving Elijah a moment to say something to his brother.

"She shouldn't go alone," he spoke in a hushed tone. "Her emotions are incredibly heightened right now. She'll need help learning to control them."

"I'm inclined to agree with you, big brother," Klaus nodded his head. "That's why I'd like you to go with her."

"Of course. I'd be more than happy to accompany her," Elijah answered.

In the bathroom, Cassandra reveled in being able to hear Klaus and Elijah's exchange while she grabbed the things she would need for an overnight trip. As she was tucking her deodorant into her small bag she momentarily froze when she heard Elijah agree to go with her and her stomach did a weird flip flop. _So Elijah's going to come with me. I guess I can't be all that surprised that they don't want me going alone. But that doesn't explain these sudden knots in my stomach at the thought of traveling with Elijah—being next to him on the plane, then alone with him in the car for the hour-long drive from Richmond to Mystic Falls. Why am I even worrying about this? It's not like I haven't done it before. It'll be fine. I think._ Before her mind could race any further, she took a couple of deep, calming breaths and zipped up her bag before walking out of the bathroom and over to the bed where her suitcase was. Elijah, she'd noticed, had disappeared from the room while Klaus remained. She didn't want to admit she'd been testing her new sense of hearing by eavesdropping, so she decided to play dumb.

"Where'd Elijah go?" She asked as she placed her toiletries bag into her suitcase.

"He went to pack his own bag," Klaus answered as he walked over to her. "I asked him to go with you."

"So going by myself was never a possibility I take it?" She turned her head towards him. He raised his eyebrows at her, giving her a 'what-do-you-think' glance. "Right. Newborn hybrid. It wouldn't be safe for anyone having me out in the world unsupervised."

"No, it would not," Klaus murmured. He reached out for her hand and pulled her into his arms. "You'll be back in a few days. Then I will teach you all about what it means to be a hybrid."

"Oh absolutely," she grinned, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. "I am for sure holding you to that."

"And what, pray tell, are you holding Niklaus to, may I ask?" Elijah walked back into the room carrying his own bag.

"His teaching me how to be a hybrid after we get back," Cassandra was still smiling as she met his eyes.

"And how exactly are you planning to do that?" Elijah set his bag down and folded his arms as he looked from Cassandra to Klaus.

"Let us not get into the 'how' right now, Elijah," Klaus sighed as he let go of Cassandra. "The two of you need to get going."

"Right," Cassandra nodded slowly. She turned back to her suitcase and zipped it up before moving it off the bed and setting it upright on the floor. She pulled up on the handle so she'd be able to pull it behind her. "I'm ready. Let's do this."

As they headed back downstairs and made their way through the courtyard and back out onto the street, Klaus finally revealed the name he'd picked out for the baby.

"It's perfect," Cassandra whispered. The thought of her baby sent a rush of emotions through her. She took a deep breath and did her best to swallow them. She knew if she allowed them to consume her while in her heightened state, she'd become a basket case and Klaus would change his mind about letting her go on this trip.

Their goodbye was brief while Elijah loaded the luggage into the trunk of the car. They didn't want to risk being seen by unwanted eyes. With a request to let him know once they arrived at their destination, Klaus kissed Cassandra quickly on the cheek and shut the passenger door where she was seated. Elijah started the car and off they drove into the nighttime abyss.

-o-

After Elijah had checked them in for their last-minute flight, they began to make their way to the terminal where they would be boarding. While they walked, Cassandra could feel Elijah's gaze on her as she stared straight ahead.

"You've been quiet since we left the compound," he murmured in a light voice.

"Oh. Yeah. I guess I'm still processing everything," Cassandra shrugged. Elijah nodded in understanding. They continued along silently until Cassandra's eyes landed on a restroom sign up ahead. Turning to Elijah, she motioned at the ladies' room with her head. "Gimme a sec?"

"Of course," he nodded.

She left her suitcase with him and made her way inside the fairly empty restroom. She chose a stall and was in and out in a couple of minutes. While she stood in front of one of the many sinks washing her hands, another woman emerged from a different stall and began to use the sink beside Cassandra.

Cassandra kept her eyes on the water, taking slow deep breaths. The moment the woman had stopped next to her, all Cassandra could focus on was the sound of her steadily beating human heart that was pumping delicious, warm blood through her body. She could feel the tips of her fangs brushing against the inside edge of her bottom lip. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt this woman, but she was so hungry!

She slowly raised her head and stared at the woman's reflection in the mirror. The woman's eyes flickered onto the reflection of Cassandra's amber hybrid eyes and she did a double take. Before she could make a sound, Cassandra whooshed behind her and covered her mouth with her hand as she sunk her fangs into her neck.

Euphoria washed over her as she fed. It was the biggest rush she'd ever felt in her entire life. She'd never tasted something so incredibly wonderful. She could hear the woman's heart gradually slowing the longer she drank, but she had no desire to stop. She drank greedily and carelessly until a strong pair of hands yanked her away from the poor woman. Cassandra gasped for breath as she met the intense eyes of Elijah staring back at her.

"Oh...oh my god!" Cassandra squeaked as blood dribbled down the sides of her mouth and chin. Her eyes shifted back to the trembling woman before her. "Oh my god, what have I done?"

"It's all right, Cassandra," Elijah spoke in a soothing voice.

"No, it's not," Cassandra shook her head over and over. "I-I almost...she could've…"

Elijah quickly compelled the woman to forget the incident and cover up the bite marks on her neck before sending her on her way and turned his attention back to Cassandra, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. "Hey. Look at me," he cooed softly and waited until she met his eyes. "That's it. Now then, let's get you cleaned up."

He grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and dampened it before gently wiping the blood off of her face. Once he was done, he discarded the bloodstained paper towel into the trash and pulled a still shaken up Cassandra into his arms. She buried her face against his shoulder as she continued to drown in overwhelming guilt while he rubbed her back in soothing motions as he attempted to console her and calm her down.

"Niklaus and I should have made sure you were well fed before leaving the compound," Elijah sighed. "Do not beat yourself up over this."

"I could have killed her, Elijah. I would have if you hadn't come along and stopped me," Cassandra whimpered. "An innocent person. I almost killed an innocent person."

"She's going to be perfectly fine, as are you. Although, now that you've had a taste of fresh blood from the vein, I daresay you'll find blood bags to be slightly less satisfying," he made an attempt to lighten the dark mood.

"Well, you'd know better than I would," Cassandra let out a soft, weak laugh. As she began to calm down and her guilt started to subside, she became acutely aware of her close proximity to him, from the sensation of his hands gently rubbing her back to the light, spicy scent of his cologne. She slowly lifted her head up and met his awaiting gaze. He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and brushed his thumb gently against her cheek. For a moment, Cassandra was overcome with the sudden urge to kiss him. She quickly shook the crazy notion away and took a step back from him. "Uh, we should probably get going. We don't want to miss our flight."

Elijah nodded and motioned for her to walk ahead of him. She turned and walked over to where he had left their bags just inside the bathroom door when he rushed in and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. He was right behind her, picking up his bag and following her out of the restroom door.

A little while later she let out a deep breath as she buckled her seat belt and settled into her first-class window seat. She turned and stared out the window at the colorful blinking lights outlining the runways in the pitch-black night. She knew the answers she was after on this trip would change everything she'd known for the past twenty-three years. Had her parents known that she had the gene the entire time and kept it from her? Were they even her real parents? She hated those sinister thoughts, but until she knew the truth she couldn't rule them out. _No. No matter what I learn, I won't let it change anything. They are my family, no matter what our DNA may or may not have in common_ , she made a silent promise to herself.

* * *

 **You guys still breathing? Heh, I sure hope so. I'm so floored (in the good sense) by all of the responses to the last chapter. I can't begin to thank you all enough for everything you had to say. I think that was the most comments on one chapter that I've ever gotten in either story thus far. I love you guys. Okay so...yep, Cassandra is a hybrid. If you're still wondering how the heck this is possible (like she is) never fear. Her trip home to Mystic Falls will reveal all. Speaking of, I'm so excited about the next chapter. You'll be seeing some old, familiar faces for sure. For those of you that may be a little sketchy about Cassandra being a hybrid, please do not worry. I promise she will not be a Hayley 2.0. She'll still be the same Cassandra you've all come to love, just more intensified. I'm so excited about getting to explore this new side to Cassandra. I hope you guys are too. Thanks again for all of the love. See ya in the next update!**


	23. Home Is Where The Truth Is

**So here we are. I realize this is a bit of a long chapter, but I'm pretty sure none of you will really mind. I am so excited for you guys to finally read it and learn the secret I've been sitting on for a year and a half now. One of you (not saying who, don't want to give it away) is on the right track. I had so much fun writing this chapter and revisiting characters like Caroline and Elizabeth and getting to do some tie-ins to what was happening in Mystic Falls up to this point. There is definitely more Cassandra/Elijah moments in this chapter, but, there's also some Cassandra/Klaus too, so there's lots of love to go around. Thank you so much for being so enthusiastic and intensely into my story. I can't begin to tell you what it means to me to know you guys are just as deep into this incredible world as I am. Okay, enough gushing. Enjoy, my lovelies.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23 - Home Is Where The Truth Is**

The soft sounds of jazz music flowed freely from the car speakers as Elijah and Cassandra drove down Highway 460 towards Mystic Falls. Cassandra held her phone in her hand as she gazed out of the passenger side window at the familiar trees. It felt strange being back in Virginia after being away for so long. She hadn't realized how much she missed it until they were driving along the highway after grabbing some breakfast once they'd landed in Richmond. Her right leg jiggled nervously as they grew closer to the town, the anticipation of seeing her mom and sister stirring swarms of butterflies in her stomach.

Her phone began to vibrate and buzz in her hand making her flinch in surprise. She looked down at the screen and saw Caroline's name flashing back at her. She eagerly tapped the answer button and brought her phone to her ear.

"Hey, Care. We're—"

"Oh, thank god. Where are you guys at?" Caroline spoke in a rushed voice.

Cassandra glanced sideways at Elijah and found him peering at her with curious eyes, confirming he was listening. "Uh, we're a couple miles out. Why? What's—"

"PULL OVER NOW!" Caroline yelled into the phone. Elijah didn't hesitate to slam on the breaks.

"Woah," Cassandra let out a rush of air as her body lurched forward with the momentum of the slowing car. Elijah quickly pulled off to the side of the road and put the car in park. "Okay, we pulled off to the side of the road. You want to tell me what the hell is going on?"

"It's a long, complicated story that ends with a spell that was cast on the entire town to keep supernatural beings from getting in. Elijah will die if he crosses the town line. Look, I'm on my way. I'll explain more when I get there. Just stay put, okay?"

"Wow. Okay, we'll wait here for you."

"Good. I'll see you soon."

"See you soon."

Cassandra lowered her phone after Caroline hung up and turned to Elijah who stared back at her with surprise written all over his face.

"Well, it seems a lot has happened since we were last here," he murmured as he shut off the car's engine.

"That's for sure," Cassandra nodded. "She has no idea she just saved my life, too."

"Seems we both owe her a rather large debt of gratitude."

Cassandra nodded again, but remained silent as she became lost in new thoughts that swirled around in her head. _Mom and Caroline are going to flip out when they find out I'm immortal now. None of us could have ever predicted this happening in a million years._

Almost as if he'd read her mind, Elijah reached over and took her hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "They will still accept you and love you after they learn of your transformation," he murmured lightly.

Cassandra flashed him a smile as she fought to ignore the annoying flip flop her stomach did after he took her by the hand. He ran his thumb lightly along her knuckles for a brief moment before letting go. Wanting some fresh air, Cassandra unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car. Elijah followed, shutting his door once he was out with a soft click.

"Mmmm," Cassandra inhaled deeply as she walked around to the front of the car and leaned back against the hood. "I had no idea there were so many different scents in the air out here. It's incredible."

"One of your many new abilities," Elijah observed as he walked over and stood beside her. "A keen sense of smell."

"Yeah," she nodded her head. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back as she enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her skin. Though he remained silent, she could sense Elijah's tense gaze on her. He'd been keeping a closer eye on her since the incident at the airport in New Orleans. She was grateful because the last thing she wanted to do was hurt an innocent person, though she wished his attentiveness didn't make her insides feel all knotted up.

They remained at the hood of the car in their relaxed positions until they began to hear the faint sound of an oncoming car engine in the distance. Cassandra opened her eyes and focused her sight on the road in front of them. Sure enough, a few seconds later her lips curled into a smile as her sister's Ford Fiesta came into view. Following close behind was a familiar police cruiser.

"She didn't tell me she was bringing our mom along," Cassandra murmured as she stood straighter.

"Maybe she wanted to surprise you," Elijah slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Probably," Cassandra agreed. Butterflies began fluttering around in her stomach as her mom and Caroline's cars approached and slowed to a stop on the opposite side of the road from where she and Elijah were. Her heart began to thump wildly when Elizabeth and Caroline climbed out of their cars and crossed the highway before making their way towards her. She felt her lips turn upward as a huge grin spread across her face. She met them halfway and wrapped her arms tightly around both of them in a giant group hug. "God, I've missed you guys so much!"

"Oh sweetie, we've missed you too," Elizabeth cooed as wrapped an arm around her oldest daughter.

"More than you know," Caroline added.

Cassandra started to pull away from her mom and sister when her eyes landed on her mother's neck. Her throat instantly began to burn as dark veins began to appear on her eyelids. The last thing she wanted was for them to see what she now was before she'd had a chance to tell them first. She took a deep breath and held it for a second until the feeling subsided and let it out as she finally let go of them and took a step back.

"Woah, hey. You're not pregnant anymore," Caroline was quick to notice. She looked past Cassandra and Elijah at the car they'd driven in. "Where's the baby? She in car?"

"No, I'm not," Cassandra replied calmly. "And no, she's not in the car. I'll explain more in a minute. First, I want to know what the heck happened to our town while I was gone. You said a spell was cast keeping all supernatural beings out."

"Yeah. Like I said before, it's a long story," Caroline sighed softly.

"You know what?" Elizabeth spoke up. "There's a grassy clearing a quarter mile up ahead. Let's head over there and talk."

Everyone nodded and made their way back to their cars. Elijah politely waited until Elizabeth and Caroline had turned their cars around before following and bringing up the rear.

"You can't tell them the truth about Hope," Elijah spoke in a firm voice while keeping his eyes fully focused on the road. "They must believe she is dead for her own safety."

"What?" Cassandra snapped, turning toward him with a scowl on her face. "You want me to lie to them? Uh uh. No way."

He let out an exasperated breath as he guided the car to a stop beside Caroline's and shut off the engine. "Yes," he paused and turned his upper body toward her. "I know this is going to be extremely difficult, but telling them is too risky."

Cassandra bit her lip and shook her head back and forth. "It's going to break their hearts. I-I don't think I can handle anything like that. Not yet."

"Yes, you can. I'll be right beside you," he placed his hand on top of hers. "Come. If we keep them waiting any longer, they'll have even more questions to ask."

Cassandra grumbled something along the lines of 'fine, whatever,' and slowly climbed out car. When she reached her mom and Caroline, they were standing in front of the police cruiser.

"Okay, now tell us everything," Cassandra pressed her sister for details about the spell on the town.

Caroline took a deep breath. "Right. Well, it basically started after Katherine died. Turns out she was descended from a bloodline of witches called Travelers."

"Travelers?" Elijah blinked in surprise. "I didn't know there were any still in existence."

"Oh yeah, there are a bunch of them," Caroline nodded her head. "They were cursed a long time go and can't use traditional magic, so they created their own form. They can become Passengers, taking over the body of whomever they wish. When Katherine died, she became a passenger in Elena's body. Took us a little while to figure that out, but we did eventually and now she's dead and gone for good."

Caroline went on to tell them about the leader of the Travelers, Markos, and his need for the blood of the last remaining doppelgängers, i.e. Stefan and Elena, to complete the spell on Mystic Falls. Marcos had succeeded in casting the spell over the town of Mystic Falls, but before it could spread further one of his followers betrayed him by killing Stefan.

"He's fine though, thanks to Bonnie. She was able to cast a spell allowing him to return from the Other Side before it collapsed," Caroline quickly reassured them. "Damon and Elena set off an explosion at The Grill which killed Markos and all his followers, thank god, but we haven't yet figured out how to reverse the spell he put on the town."

"Bonnie can't reverse it?" Cassandra asked. Caroline shared a look with their mom which didn't sit will with Cassandra. "Wait. What aren't you telling me? You told me she's the anchor to the Other Side, but if the Other Side disintegrated then...oh god."

"Yeah," Caroline murmured sadly. "There's more. Um…so when Damon died in the explosion, he died while he was still a vampire and went to the Other Side to rescue Stefan. Stefan made it back, but the spell broke before Damon could get through."

"So he's…just…gone? Him and Bonnie? Oh wow."

Caroline nodded slowly. "Elena's still in shock. Anything to add mom?"

"Nope. I think you covered everything," Elizabeth answered.

"Good. Okay, Cass. I got you all caught up. Now it's your turn. Where's my niece?" Caroline folded her arms.

"Right. Um, so, yeah, like I said she's not here. Before I get into why, there are some other things you should know first," Cassandra swallowed slowly. She went on to tell them about the Harvest Ritual and how four different witches were resurrected instead of the girls that were sacrificed. "Eventually we figured out to get those girls back we had to kill the witches that had risen in their place. Through a series of events, we…well Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah took down three of the four, but the fourth, she was able to negotiate a deal to stick around. Turns out she was nothing but a backstabbing bitch that I am positive had a thing for Klaus, but that's beside the point."

She told them about Francesca and the way she used her powerful position in the city to set up a huge series of bombings at the Crescent Wolf camp in the Bayou. Then she told them about the kyanite stones and how the witch they'd made a deal with cast a spell to turn them into moonlight rings for the wolves, allowing them to draw on all of their abilities without having to turn. "The stones were supposed to go to Hayley and the Crescent Wolves, but Genevieve made a secret deal with Francesca and gave her the stones right in front of us."

"What did Genevieve want in return?" Elizabeth asked.

"Me," Cassandra whispered, staring at the ground.

"You?" Caroline squeaked. "What did she want with you?"

Cassandra took a deep breath to keep herself calm as she slowly looked up at her mom and sister. She'd been dreading telling them this part of the events, and now that time had come. "She wanted my baby to sacrifice her so her magic could be consecrated back into the earth and used by the ancestors."

"No!" Caroline and Elizabeth cried out at the same time.

"There was a massive fight at the cemetery where they wanted to perform the ritual. We were able to stop it from happening, but amidst the struggling…" Cassandra paused to muster up whatever strength she could to continue spinning the lie she needed them to believe. When she saw the looks in their eyes, she couldn't get her voice to work. She didn't want to lie to them, not about this. She opened her mouth to continue, but no words came out.

"We were unable to save her," Elijah took over. "The baby is—"

"No, Elijah," Cassandra put a hand up to stop him before cautiously meeting his surprised eyes. "I can't do this. I can't lie to them. They're my family. I want them to know the truth. They _deserve_ to know the truth. She's their flesh and blood too."

Disapproval was written all over his face, but he didn't stop her a she took her mom and sister by the hand and smiled at them as her eyes welled with tears. "I trust both of you to keep this secret. She's fine. She's alive and well. We had to fake her death and sent her off with Rebekah while we deal with the aftermath in the city. I wish I could have taken a picture so you could see her. She's perfect."

"Oh, honey," Elizabeth cupped Cassandra's cheek for a moment before pulling her into a hug. "That was an incredibly selfless thing you did for her."

"Thanks," Cassandra sniffed as she pulled away from her mom and wiped her eyes. "We named her Hope."

"Awww, that's perfect," Caroline gushed.

"I love it," Elizabeth agreed. "And you look really good for having just had a baby recently."

"Yeah. Too good. Wait a minute," Caroline narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Cass, when was she born exactly?"

"Uh...twenty-seven hours ago," Cassandra whispered.

"Oh my god!" Caroline gasped.

"The witches let me hold her for two seconds after I gave birth before slitting my throat," Cassandra told them. "I died with my baby's vampire blood in my system."

"And now you're a vampire," Caroline's eyes widened. Elizabeth was too stunned to speak.

"Well, yes, but I'm more than that," Cassandra took a deep breath and made her eyes turn amber-gold while black veins appeared on her eyelids.

"You're a hybrid?!" Caroline shrieked. "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm here. I was hoping," Cassandra paused and shifted her gaze from Caroline to their mom. "Mom might be able to shed some light on that."

"I don't know, honey," Elizabeth shook her head back and forth. "No one on my side or your dad's side has the gene. I have no idea how—oh. Oh!" She pressed a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened in realization.

"What?" Cassandra's heart sped up. "What is it mom? What do you know?"

"Tell us!" Caroline urged.

"Your father and I just assumed…I mean why would we think any different…" Elizabeth shook her head. "We'd been married for a little over two months when we got pregnant with you, Cassandra. I had no reason to believe that…oh my. I better backtrack for a minute. What I'm about to tell you is something that I am not proud of." she paused and took a breath. "A couple of days before your father and I got married I had an extremely bad case of cold feet. I wound up at the bar in The Grill and had a few drinks to calm my nerves. While I was there I bumped into an old high school acquaintance. We started talking and flirting and, well, one thing led to another."

"Oh my god!" Caroline squeaked. "You slept with him?"

"I felt completely horrible about it afterwards and came clean to your father the next day. He was incredibly gracious about the whole thing, and after taking some time to think it over, he forgave me. We went through with the wedding and, as I said, eight weeks or so later we found out we were pregnant. Neither of us gave it a second thought."

"So you're saying I have a different father? Who? Who is he, mom?" Cassandra folded her arms across her chest.

Elizabeth closed her eyes as the name left her lips. "Richard Lockwood."

"What" Cassandra whispered as her eyes widened.

"Tyler's dad?" Caroline gasped.

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded slowly. "It's the only explanation that fits."

"Then that means…" Caroline met Cassandra's eyes.

"Tyler's my brother," Cassandra finished. "Wow. I definitely didn't see that one coming at all."

"Oh, sweetie. I'm so sorry it never ever occurred to me. If it had, we would have been more prepared, maybe we could've—" Guilt washed over Elizabeth's face.

"Mom, it's okay," Cassandra cut her off. "I'm relieved, actually. I had all these crazy thoughts about you keeping some horrible secret from me my whole life."

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have kept it from you. I promise."

Cassandra flashed her a small smile. "I believe you. Well, it looks like I need to pay Tyler a little visit. Now that we're on an even playing field I can give him a real piece of my mind for what he did to me." She turned her head toward her sister. "Know where I can find him?"

"Uh…not off hand. I mean, maybe I have a few ideas of where you can look, but before you do there's something you need to know," Caroline murmured. "One of the Travelers, Julian, took over his body. He's the one who killed Stefan and betrayed Markos. To punish him, Markos had Julian pushed over the town line. He died, Cass. Both Julian and Tyler died, but we were able to get Tyler back. The thing is, Tyler, he's…well, he's not a hybrid anymore. He's fully human again with an untriggered werewolf gene."

"What?!" Cassandra's eyes bugged out in shock. "He's human? Seriously? Wow, talk about irony."

Caroline softened her face as she placed her hands on Cassandra's shoulders. "If I tell you where you're most likely going to find him, do you promise not to hurt him? I know what he put you through when you were pregnant, and you have every right to throw the book at him for it, but I'm asking you to go easy on him."

"Go easy on him?" Cassandra stared at her sister like she'd lost her mind. "Go easy on him. He kidnapped me, held me against my will in a shack where he chained me to a pipe, stabbed me in the stomach with a huge ass needle, used my baby's blood to prove that it would be able to create hybrids, tried to kill my baby, and you're asking me to go easy on him because he's human now? No, Caroline. I won't promise to go easy on him. I won't kill him, but I'll be damned if I don't get a punch or two in!"

"Cassandra," Elijah's soothing calm voice called out as he placed a hand under her elbow. She'd nearly forgotten he was standing beside her. She shook Caroline's hands off of her shoulders and yanked her arm away from Elijah.

"No," she growled at him. "He deserves to feel the same amount of fear for his life that I did." She stared back at Caroline with narrowed eyes. "Where is he? Caroline? Tell me."

Caroline looked from Cassandra to Elijah like a deer caught in headlights.

"I'll make sure he remains unharmed," Elijah reassured Caroline.

"Okay," she nodded before meeting Cassandra's eyes. "Try the gym at Whitmore. He was there yesterday. I wouldn't be surprised if he went there again today. He has the same anger issues he had in high school before he activated his werewolf gene."

"Thank you, Caroline," Cassandra spoke in a much calmer voice. "Maybe we can meet up a little later this afternoon and you can show me around the school?"

"Absolutely. Just let me know when you're ready," Caroline nodded eagerly.

"I will," Cassandra gave her a quick hug. She turned and hugged their mom as well before heading back to the car with Elijah following closely behind. As they drove away, neither noticed Caroline pulling out her phone and frantically tapping the screen before holding up to her ear.

Forty minutes later they were walking onto the campus of Whitmore College. During the drive Cassandra had looked up a map of the campus to see where the gym was located so they'd know where to park. As they walked, she used her vampire hearing to listen for the voices of anyone walking nearby. They'd covered half of the distance from the parking lot to the building where the gym was when she finally heard his familiar, gruff voice.

"Yeah. I'll catch you guys later," Tyler called out to the guys he'd befriended during his workout that day.

Cassandra whooshed behind the building she and Elijah were in the process of passing and waited. When Tyler's muscular form finally came into view his cell phone began to ring. He tapped it and brought it up to his ear.

"Hey Care," he answered in a light voice. Cassandra let out a low hiss at the mention of her sister's name and the sound of her frantic voice on the other end of the phone call. "Woah. Slow down. Whose—"

Cassandra didn't waist another moment and vamp-sped straight for him. She knocked his phone to the ground and grabbed him by the throat, shoving him backwards against the nearest wall and pinning him with her other arm.

"Hey, Tyler. Long time no see," she growled and flashed her amber-gold eyes at him.

"Cass!" He gasped. "What the hell? You're a hybrid? "

"That's right."

"But how is that even possible?"

"Funny story actually, one I'll be glad to tell you, but first…" she squeezed his throat a little bit harder and glared at him. "I think a little payback is in order after all the crap you put me through months ago when you kidnapped me and tried to kill my baby."

She bared her sharp fangs and started to lunge for his exposed neck. Before her teeth could pierce his skin she was forcefully pulled off of him and pinned against the same wall by a pair of fiercely strong arms.

"Hey!" An unexpected familiar voice yelled at her. "Leave him alone!"

"Alaric?" Cassandra's eyes widened in shock as she stared back at him. "Caroline didn't tell me you'd been brought back too."

"Heh, yeah. Bonnie was able to bring us back before the Other Side imploded," Alaric smiled. He released his grip on her and gave her a big hug. "Now then, care to explain what's going on here?"

"Yeah, Cass," Tyler rubbed his neck. "Where'd you get your werewolf gene from?"

"Okay, okay," Cassandra sighed and launched into the explanation she'd gotten from her mom. Both Tyler and Alaric grew visibly shocked to learn of Elizabeth's hookup days before her wedding. "The thing is, this guy, the man I now know to be my biological father and the person I inherited my werewolf gene from, he's not alive anymore. When he was, he was part of one of the Founding Families."

"The only Founding family with the gene is..." Tyler's eyes slowly widened as he trailed off. "Mine."

"Uh huh," Cassandra nodded her head slowly. "The man my mother spent the night with was your father. It was before he began dating your mom."

"We share the same father," Tyler murmured. "You...you're my..."

"Your sister. Yes," Cassandra's face slowly broke out in a big smile. "Do you know what else this means, Tyler? Or maybe I should start calling you _Uncle_ Tyler now."

"Oh my god," he stammered. "I tried to kill my own niece? Cass I... I swear, had I known I never would have—"

Cassandra reached out and took him by the hands. "It's okay, Tyler. The important thing is that you didn't succeed and now you know so you'll _never_ try it again."

He nodded his head vigorously in agreement. Cassandra grinned and let go of his hands so she could wrap her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Wait a minute," he spoke after they let go of each other. "How exactly did you become a hybrid? And when did you turn?"

"Uh, a little over twenty-four hours ago," Cassandra answered slowly.

Tyler's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Wait, so this just happened? How?"

"It's a long story. Um—" Cassandra bit the corner of her bottom lip as her eyes flickered onto Elijah. If the way he'd reacted to her decision to tell her mom and sister the truth was any indication, he certainly wasn't going to be okay with her revealing the entire truth to Tyler and Alaric.

"Cassandra," Elijah murmured in a low voice, shaking his head from side to side with the smallest motion, confirming her intuition.

She let out an annoyed sigh and refocused her attention on Tyler and Alaric. "The gist of it is this coven of New Orleans witches wanted to kill my baby and release her magic back into the earth for their ancestors as an offering. You know how Bonnie dealt with the spirits in Mystic Falls, well, the New Orleans witches have witchy ancestors helping them with magic. Anyway, they hatched this elaborate plan to abduct me and kill my baby once I'd given birth to her. They killed me a couple of minutes after she was born...just over twenty four hours ago."

"Her blood turned you," Tyler realized. Cassandra nodded.

"And the baby?" Alaric asked in a quiet voice.

"We weren't able to..." Cassandra trailed off. She looked away, not wanting to see the pain and sorrow in their eyes. A lump formed in her throat as a wave of guilt from having to lie to them washed over her.

"Oh my god. Cass I...I'm so, so sorry," Tyler whispered. He clenched his hands into tight fists. "I should have just grabbed you and gotten the hell out of there instead of trying to prove my stupid theory."

"And if you'd done that, you would have had both Klaus _and_ Elijah hunting you," Cassandra pointed out as she met his eyes.

"True. Hey. I just realized something," his face brightened as his lips curled into a grin. Cassandra stared at him in confusion and waited for him to explain. "He can't touch me now. Klaus can't do a damn thing to me ever again, and it's all because of you, Cass. I'm free. I'm finally free!"

Before she could say anything he pulled her into a tight hug and lifted her off of her feet, momentarily spinning her around.

"Ah!" She squeaked and laughed softly as he set her back down. "Great. He is so not going to like this."

"Dude, you have to send me a picture of his face when you tell him," Tyler laughed.

Cassandra groaned softly. "Yeah, no. So not doing that."

"Well, as much as I'm enjoying this, I should be going. I have a twenty page application to fill out for an open teaching position here. It was nice to see you again, Cassandra, despite the circumstances." Alaric flashed her a warm smile.

"You want to teach here?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows curiously.

"Sure. Why not? It's a great school. Besides, someone's got to keep an eye on everyone and make sure they don't get into any serious trouble," Alaric chuckled.

"Yeah. Who better than an original vampire who's a retired vampire hunter," Cassandra grinned. "Good luck. Not that you need it. They'd be insane not to hire you."

"Thanks. I hope they agree. I am so sorry for your loss. If you ever need anything, anything at all, call me, okay?"

"Thank you, Alaric. I will." Cassandra smiled at him.

With a nod he walked off, leaving Cassandra, Elijah, and Tyler by the side of the building. Tyler left shortly after to go grab a shower, but not without making plans to meet back up with Cassandra and Caroline later. With time to kill on their hands, Cassandra and Elijah continued to wander around the campus while they waited for Caroline to arrive.

"Are you okay?" Elijah asked in a soft voice as they walked through the quad in the middle of the campus.

"What do you think?" She snapped, turning her head to glare at him. She instantly realized her tone was uncalled for and shook her head as she let out a breath of air. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. My emotions are all over the place right now."

"That is understandable," he nodded slowly. "It's for the best, you know."

"Doesn't make me feel any less guilty for lying."

"They will understand and forgive you," he tried to reassure. Cassandra nodded in agreement.

She fell silent in the moments that followed, instead casually glancing around at the different buildings. Elijah was respectful of her choice to stop talking, though he continued to keep a watchful eye knowing how quickly her emotions could shift from one moment to the next. Both were grateful when Caroline finally showed up and provided a much needed distraction by giving them a little tour before they headed off to grab a bite to eat for lunch.

-o-

Cassandra let out a soft sigh as she climbed out of the car and followed Elijah up the front steps of a charming two-story red brick with white trim inn,. It was the first one they'd come across in the small town where Whitmore College was located. There weren't a lot of options since they couldn't stay with Caroline due to campus rules and regulations, so they decided to give this little inn a shot. Elijah, being the gentleman that he is, held the front door open so Cassandra could enter first. She drew in a breath as she raised her right foot and carefully stepped through the threshold.

"Well, that's a relief," she whispered so only Elijah could here.

"Quite," he concurred in a similar whisper.

They made their way inside and came to the front desk counter. Elijah raised and arm and tapped a small bell with his hand, making it ding to signal their presence. About ten seconds passed before a middle-aged woman with light brown hair and lovely pale blue eyes appeared.

"Well, hello there," she flashed Cassandra and Elijah a warm smile. "Welcome to Maysville Inn. My name's Helen. How can I help you?"

"Good evening," Elijah answered in his charming, velvety voice. "We were hoping you would have a couple of rooms available."

"Well, let me see," Helen shifted her eyes onto her computer and began clicking away with the mouse. "You're in luck. We had a cancellation today so we have one room available, the Williamsburg Room. It's a double room with a queen size bed."

Cassandra's heart sped up momentarily at the thought of having to share a bed with Elijah. She didn't think she could handle it. "Maybe we should see if we can find a place with a multiple rooms available?" She turned to meet Elijah's eyes.

"Well, you're welcome to try, but with the Annual Cheese Festival going on in town this week, I think you'll find everywhere else is pretty much booked solid," Helen explained politely.

Knowing there was no other choice, Cassandra gave Elijah the tiniest of nods. He nodded back and then turned his head toward Helen as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out his wallet.

"We'll take it," he murmured cheerfully and pulled out enough cash to cover a couple of nights.

"Wonderful," Helen chirped happily and began the process of checking them in. After taking Elijah's money she handed him a key to the room and gave them a quick rundown of the amenities and bid them a good night.

After retrieving their bags from the car, Cassandra and Elijah made their way up the three flights of stairs to their room. Elijah unlocked the door and held it open for Cassandra. As she walked past him and looked around, she could help smiling at the room's charm. The queen sized bed had a gorgeous oak sleigh bed frame with matching end tables and two cozy, antique armchairs angled in front of a large fireplace. A complementing dresser with a large mirror sat on the wall perpendicular to the bed.

"How charming," Cassandra murmured as she walked over to glance out of one of the two large windows.

"It is," Elijah agreed with a small smile as he shut the door behind him. He set their bags down on the floor by the foot of the bed and walked over to stand beside her. "You sure you're okay with this? I'd be more than willing to—"

"It's fine, Elijah," Cassandra cut him off. "Like Helen said, everywhere else around here is full, and I'm not about to have you go sleep in the car or on the hardwood floor. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time we've slept in the same bed. I'm fine with it, I promise."

"As long as you're sure."

"I am. Now, I think I'm going to go grab a shower and then call your brother."

Elijah nodded and continued to gaze out of the window while Cassandra went over to get her pajamas and toiletries bag out of her suitcase. Once she was in the bathroom, she set her phone and toiletries bag on the counter and turned on the shower water. She decided she didn't feel like washing her hair and pulled it back into a bun so it wouldn't get wet. She quickly undressed and climbed into the shower. The hot water felt incredible on her muscles and didn't take long to make her feel fully relaxed. She quickly washed and rinsed before shutting the water off and wrapped a fluffy white towel around her body. She'd barely stepped out of the shower to dry off when her phone began to buzz on the counter. She reached for it and smiled at the sight of Klaus's name flashing back at her. She tapped the screen to answer the phone and switched on the speaker phone setting.

"Hey," she murmured.

"Hello, love," Klaus's deep voice filled the small bathroom. "Were you able to learn anything today?"

"I was. Gimme a sec to dry off and get dressed. I just got out of the shower," she began to pat her body with the towel. "And before you ask, no I will not send you a picture."

"I didn't say anything!"

"But you thought it. I know you Klaus Mikaelson."

"Alright, alright," Klaus laughed. "Maybe I did think it, but I certainly wasn't going to suggest it. Give me a little credit."

"Uh huh, sure you weren't," Cassandra rolled her eyes. She didn't believe him for a second. Finally dried off and dressed, she scooped up her phone and turned off the speaker phone setting so their conversation could be more private. "There. All dried off and dressed."

"Good. So? Out with it. What did you learn?"

"Right. Well, I did find out exactly how I came to have a werewolf gene. And you aren't going to like it."

"Why not let me be the judge of that, hmmm?"

"Just trust me. You won't like it, but there isn't anything you'll be able to do about it. Anyway, so my mom told me that a couple of days before she married my dad she had a serious case of cold feet and after a few too many drinks she had a…what would you call it…a tryst with an old high school acquaintance. She came clean to my dad and he forgave her. They married and a couple of months later she found out she was pregnant with me."

"So she had a one night stand with a guy who, as it turns out, has the werewolf gene," Klaus chuckled lightly. "That's not much of a surprise."

"That's not the part you aren't going to like," Cassandra sighed. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "The guy my mom slept with, my biological father, his name is Richard Lockwood."

"No!" Klaus let out a low growl. "That means that Tyler—"

"Is my brother, yes," Cassandra nodded her head. She pinched her eyes shut as Klaus let out another growl. The sound of breaking glass quickly followed. She waited a few moments for him to calm down before speaking again in a calm voice. "Look, I know this is the very last thing you could have ever wanted to happen, but it's not like he's coming back with me to New Orleans or anything. You'll never have to see him. You just won't ever be able to hurt him ever again."

"Not helping, sweetheart," Klaus groaned.

"Okay, well maybe this will. When I first saw Tyler I nearly bit his head off because I was so mad at him for what he did to me in the Bayou."

"It does," Klaus let out a small laugh.

"Good. Because there's one more thing you need to know. I told Caroline and my mom the truth about Hope. Before you bite my head off, I just want to say that they are family and deserve to know. I said the same thing to Elijah, who, by the way, was not happy with me for spilling that secret. But I didn't tell Tyler and I made Caroline swear not to tell him."

Klaus was silent for a few very long moments. When he finally spoke, his tone was so eerily calm it sent a shiver down Cassandra's spine. "Do you have any idea of how dangerous a risk you've taken in bringing them in on this? Our daughter's life is at stake, Cassandra. If anything happens to her because of your carelessness—"

"They're her family, too, Klaus. Her flesh and blood. They had every right to know what's going on. And they'd rather die than let anything happen to her. Our secret is safe with them, I promise."

"It better be."

"It will be," she did her best to sound as reassuring as possible. "I should go. I've kept your brother from his turn using the shower long enough. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you when you get back."

Her phone beeped in her ear, signaling he had hung up. She focused on her breathing as pings of guilt rolled through her. She knew from the tone of his voice as he said he loved her that he was still mad at her for telling her mom and sister the truth about Hope. She stood still for a long minute until she found the will to shake herself out of her spiral and gathered up her things before leaving the bathroom. Elijah was sitting on the edge of the bed fiddling with his phone and looked up at her as she walked over to her suitcase.

"Shower's all yours," she mumbled as she opened the flap and put her things back inside. "Sorry for taking so long."

"You didn't take that long," Elijah rose to his feet. He was quick to gather the things he needed from his bag before disappearing into the bathroom.

Cassandra dug out her phone charger and plugged it into one of the outlets beside the end tables next to the bed before hooking the other end up to her phone and placing it on top of the table. She pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. Once she was situated and comfortable she turned off the small lamp on the end table next to her and curled up on her side.

She could feel tears prickling the corners of her eyes as thoughts of guilt seeped into her mind again. She pinched her eyes shut as tightly as she could in an attempt to keep the tears from falling and tried with all her might to fight off the guilt that grew heavier with each passing second, but she was unable to. _Klaus and Elijah are right. As much as I love my family, I shouldn't have told them the truth about Hope. I've put her in so much more danger now that they know. If anything happens to her because of this, it'll be all my fault. I never should have burdened mom or Caroline with such a heavy secret to carry. They have enough to deal with. I've barely been a mother and a hybrid for twenty-four hours and I already suck at it. I mean, I fed on that poor woman at the airport and would have killed her if Elijah hadn't stopped me. I am so not fit to be a mother. Hope is definitely better off without me. They all are. Maybe I should just…,_ Cassandra's eyes popped open. _Woah. Why in the world would I….oh. Right. Heightened emotions. Guilt spiral. Because…because Klaus was upset with me for telling my family about sending Hope away. But that doesn't mean I made the wrong choice in telling them. He just disagrees with me, as does Elijah. Everything is going to be okay. Rebekah got a witch to do a cloaking spell, and she won't let anything happen to my baby. I trust her completely, as does Klaus and Elijah._

She could feel the pings of guilt receding and slowly closed her eyes as the shower water turned off in the bathroom. She focused on her breathing which allowed her body to slowly begin to relax. A few minutes later she heard the bathroom door open followed by the sound of Elijah's soft footsteps. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to risk losing the relaxed state she'd arrived at. She felt the bed shift slightly as Elijah climbed into bed and heard the soft click when he turned off the lamp on the end table next to him.

"Sleep well, Cassandra," he murmured softly before laying down on his side with his back to her.

"You too, Elijah," Cassandra whispered back without opening her eyes.

-o-

A few hours later, Elijah was awoken from his slumber by the sound of soft whimpering coming from beside him. He rolled over and found the noise was coming from Cassandra who was crying softly in her sleep. He sat up and reached over to gently rub her arm with his hand until she stirred with a soft gasp.

"You were crying in your sleep. It's all right," Elijah cooed soothingly. "It was only a bad dream."

"A dream," Cassandra muttered as she shifted onto her back and wiped her eyes. She shook her head slightly in disbelief. "It felt so real."

"Would you mind if I asked what you were dreaming about?" Elijah asked.

Cassandra propped herself up against her pillows and took a deep breath as the dream replayed itself in her mind. "We were...well, I don't know exactly where we were. It was some big house somewhere in some unknown place. I was sitting on the floor playing with Hope. She was so big, like, a year old I think. Rebekah came into the room and Hope pushed herself up onto her little legs and toddled over to her with her arms outstretched saying 'Mama' in a squeaky baby voice. Rebekah scooped her up and the rest of you, you, Klaus, even Kol came rushing into the room and crowded around her, freaking out because apparently that was Hope's first word. None of you corrected her or thought of me at all. I sat all alone on the floor, watching all of you, feeling completely invisible and non-existent. My own daughter thought Rebekah was her mother and none of you noticed or cared. It was awful."

"You have nothing to fear. Rebekah would never try to take your place as Hope's mother. I am certain she will tell her all about her strong, beautiful, intelligent, and courageous mother every day until they are reunited."

"I know it was just a stupid dream and that Rebekah would never do that, but we don't know how long it will be before it's safe for them to come back. What if it's a year, five years, ten, or even more? I'll be a complete stranger to my own daughter. I just...I miss her so much, Elijah. I-I can't...I need..." He could tell she was on the verge of tears, so he scooted closer to her and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face against his chest as she let out a muffled sob. "I hate this! I have this empty, aching hole in my heart, and I hate it! I hate the witches for killing me and trying to kill my baby, forcing us to send her away. I wish it would just stop. I don't want to feel this way anymore. I-I just want my baby girl back. I want the pain and emptiness to go away."

"Hey," he gently raised her head so their eyes could meet and stroked the side of her face with the back of his fingers. "I know it's hard. Everything you're feeling right now is incredibly magnified and that makes it unbearable, but I promise you it will get better. Do not abandon your emotions, Cassandra, I beg you. You will no longer be you if you do. We _will_ make the city safe for your daughter, I give you my word. "

Cassandra nodded her head once before laying it back down against his chest and focused on the sound of his steady heartbeat, which she found soothing. She knew he was right, that flipping her humanity switch would be the easy way out. For her daughter, she had to be strong. As she began to drift back to sleep in the comfort and safety of Elijah's strong arms, she decided she would do whatever she had to do to take down their enemies so Hope could come home to them. And she would start with woman who backstabbed all of them and handed her over to the witches—Francesca Correa.


	24. Bittersweet Revenge

**Hey guys. I hope those of you who reside in the US had a wonderful Independence Day. I know I did. I had a four-day weekend which allowed me to get lots of writing done. So, has my big plot twist reveal had a chance to sink in and settle? Did any of you figure it out, or were you just as surprised as Cassandra was to find out Tyler's her half brother? I can't tell you all how excited I am that you all finally know. When I was first figuring out how I wanted this whole thing to go, I toyed with the idea of just having Cassandra become a vampire, but ultimately there were plot points in later chapters that would make her being a hybrid completely necessary. Once I decided she needed to be a hybrid, I had to figure out how, and that's when my big twist was born. I took a lot of time thinking it through to make sure it was something that not only fit with the canon that we all know, but would be something plausible and acceptable. So, there you go.**

 **I'm so happy so many of you are enjoying all of the Cassandra/Elijah moments. Don't worry Klaus/Cassandra lovers, there will be some nice moments between them in this chapter too. I will also tell you that, yes, I will be including everything that happens with her mom which means she will definitely be returning to Mystic Falls. But, enough about that. Thank you guys so much for sticking with me and for all of the wonderful comments you leave. Now, without further adieu, here's to the start of Season 2! (Yes, I know that rhymed. I admit I'm a nerd.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 24 - Bittersweet Revenge**

"Once upon a time, there was a majestic king and a beautiful queen whom the king loved with all his heart. They lived with the king's noble brother in a colorful kingdom where music and art were celebrated," Rebekah gazed down at the beautiful baby girl in her arms with a smile on her face as she sat in a big, cozy easy chair in a quaint little room located in an unknown part of the country. The baby cooed softly as if to respond to her words, even though she was much too young to comprehend them.

Rebekah spoke in a soft voice as she continued to tell the baby her story. "The king and queen did not foresee having a child, but they lived in an enchanted land where all things were possible. In time, they were blessed with a beautiful baby daughter. For whom they wished only peace and happiness. Still, the king had demons who pursued him. There was a ruthless beast who wanted to take the kingdom for her own. Armed with a pack of untamed creatures, she drove the other magical beings from the land. And there was a wicked sorceress with enchanted stones that weakened the king on every full moon."

"Seeing the shadow their enemies cast upon their home, the king and queen were driven to send their beloved princess away, convincing all who remained that she was forever lost. The king and queen, in their sorrow, turned away from the world. The castle closed it's doors, and the kingdom fell. Some say that the only light that shines in the castle illuminates the shadow of the once mighty king and his beautiful queen in the room meant for their child. But as the ruthless beats took rule over the fallen king's realm, little did they know that he, his queen, and his brother would not rest until their enemies were vanquished. For they believed that one day they would heal their kingdom and bring their princess home so that she might live happily ever after."

Rebekah stood up and carried the baby over to the crib and carefully laid her in it. She draped a blanket over the baby and placed a familiar small wooden knight next to her. Rebekah stared down at her for a long moment with a radiant smile on her face, then turned around and began to make her way out of the room. She paused in the doorway and took one last look over her shoulder before turning off the light and walking out of the room.

* * *

The intense melody of Mozart's _Requiem in D Minor K 626-3_ coming from a record player filled the room as Klaus furiously tried to stretch a canvas over a wooden frame for a new painting. When he pulled so hard he tore through the canvas, he threw it towards the door has hard as he could while he yelled at the top of his lungs. He turned his back to the door as he grunted and caught his breath. Having heard his yell, Elijah walked into the room and knelt down to pick up the damaged canvas.

"I suppose we shall have to call this your white period," Elijah stood up and placed the torn canvas on it's side against a pile of canvases leaning against the wall.

"I'm missing a crucial color in my palette," Klaus spoke in a low voice as he slowly turned around to face his brother. "That of my enemy's blood."

"Well, I recommend a Venetian red with rust," Elijah tried to lighten the mood by cracking a joke.

It only aggravated Klaus's sour mood more. "It's been months!" He growled. " I have adhered to our plan, sit and do nothing, sell our grief. And now my child is safely away, and another full moon is upon us. Another night of _pathetic_ weakness, as the moonlight rings steal my strength." His voice softened. "The inertia is killing me. I need to act. I..I..I need…I need to spill blood."

"Well, then," Elijah regained his calm yet determined composure. "You'll be pleased to know that I've located the last of the twelve rings forged with your blood."

"Then it's time," Klaus whispered as his face brightened at hearing Elijah's news.

"And none too soon," Elijah continued. "I'm concerned about Cassandra."

Klaus paused a beat before quickly turning away and staring at the wall of bookshelves that had been behind him. "She seems to be doing well enough."

Elijah disagreed. "She's fairing no better than you, brother. Now, if you'd only focus on her even half as much as you do your painting these days—"

"Maybe if you had allowed me to take her out and teach her how to use her new abilities like I had promised instead of making us all do absolutely nothing for the past five months we'd both be better off," Klaus turned around and glared at Elijah. "We have comforted each other as much as we can within the confines of the these walls."

"So you're pushing each other away then?"

"Do not misinterpret my words, brother. We are merely allowing each other the freedom to deal with the situation however we wish. I choose to paint, she chooses to roam around on her own outside the city."

Elijah raised his eyebrows slightly. "So you have noticed her frequent disappearances at night."

"Of course I have," Klaus's voice rumbled softly. "If this is what helps her cope, I will not discourage it."

"Therein lies the problem," Elijah murmured. "I do not think it is helping her cope at all."

* * *

Out in the Bayou, Cassandra calmly roamed around the abandoned wolf encampment in her wolf form. Even though the place held unpleasant memories from when Tyler had kidnapped her and brought her there to kill her baby, she found herself constantly coming back. The warmth from the sun warmed her cream and sandy brown colored fur. Everything felt easier, simpler when she was in her wolf form, making the pain from turning worth it. Returning to her human form was a lot easier, though she learned after her first time turning into a wolf to discard her clothing ahead of time.

When she was ready to resume her human form, she came to a stop in front of the clothesline where she had previously hung her clothes so they wouldn't get dirty. She closed her eyes, concentrated, and a second later found herself standing taller on two feet instead of four. She was quick to get dressed, keeping her ears wide open for sounds of intruders approaching so she wouldn't be caught indisposed. There wasn't much to her attire—a short sleeve, sheer white blouse with a white camisole underneath, dark blue jeggings, black boots, and her favorite black jacket.

After she was fully dressed, she started to make her way back toward the abandoned shack that was once home to a werewolf named Dwayne, the very werewolf Tyler had turned in a hybrid after kidnapping her. Her eyes wandered, taking in the leftover debris on the ground from the bombings, and came to rest on a pile of dirty brown leaves covering a doll laying face down in the dirt next to a couple of rocks. She knelt down and carefully picked it up. As she gently  
removed bits of leaves from the doll's hair, she stared at the left side of it's face that had been badly burned and felt a lump form in her throat. Some poor little girl's favorite toy was nothing more than a piece of junk, and all it made her think about was her own little girl who was out there somewhere. She felt a tear start to fall down her cheek and used the back of her hand to quickly brush it away. She set the doll back on the ground and took a deep breath as she stood up and brushed off her hands. With one last look at the run down shack, she disappeared into the wind, racing back towards the French Quarter without looking back.

* * *

"We have a deal, Cassie," Francesca stood in the living room at her huge mansion facing the fourth and final Harvest Girl who'd been brought back to life after Genevieve died. Cassie was there along with a dozen werewolves, all of whom were on Francesca's side, working toward keeping the vampires out of the city. Among those werewolves was a member from Hayley and Jackson's pack—Oliver. He stood silently next to the young witch while Francesca ranted after learning Oliver and a few of the other wolves had been stopped when they'd attempted to take down a vampire who owned a record store by none other than Davina Clare. "Witches don't get in our way when it comes to killing vampires who enter the Quarter."

"Davina's not in our coven anymore," Cassie answered in a monotone, almost bored sounding voice. "The rules don't apply to her."

"Well, make them apply," Francesca hissed softly as she stood with her hands on her hips. She started to pace around the room, anxious and agitated. "Get everyone out of my face! They're here, hovering all the time."

"They're just doing their job," Oliver called out, stopping her as she was about to leave the room.

Francesca turned back around to face him and others, a scowl on her face. "Their job is to protect me from Klaus Mikaelson, who, by the way, has not set foot outside his house in months. All this waiting...I'm losing my mind. Anyone who is not paid to protect me, go. _Get out!"_

She walked over to her desk and watched as the werewolves and Cassie slowly shuffled back outside. The wolves went one way, while Cassie went in the opposite direction.

"She's unraveling. Poor thing," Cassie hummed as she fell into step beside a dark skinned man wearing a dark blue pant suit. He had short, black hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. In the witch community, he was known as Vincent Griffith. They continued to talk while they walked down the street. "Cracking under the pressure.

"I assume that was Elijah and Niklaus's goal all along," Vincent answered with a Louisiana drawl in his voice.

"Say what you will, they are impressive strategists," a pleased grin tugged at the corner of Cassie's lips.

"A trait they inherited from you, dear mother," Vincent glanced sideways at Cassie.

"I suppose they did, Finn," Cassie chuckled softly. "Francesca Guerrera will be her own undoing. Let's see how impressive your brothers are when they finally come up against me."

* * *

Night had fallen by the time Cassandra returned to the compound. After shrugging off her jacket and laying it on the bed, she whooshed into the kitchen and dug out a blood bag from the designated cooler. She drank hungrily until she'd devoured its entire contents and tossed the empty bag into the trash. She headed back to her and Klaus's bedroom and started to make her way over to the bed to grab her jacket so she could hang it up in the closet when her attention was drawn to the open nursery door. Curious, she veered over to it and blinked in surprise at the sight of Elijah disassembling the wood slats that made up the bottom of the crib.

"What do you think you're doing, Elijah?" She folded her arms as she marched over to him, an appalled look on her face.

"Welcome back," Elijah sighed while keeping his eyes glued to the wooden beams he held in his hands. "What is it? The third night this week?"

"I don't need a caretaker. Hybrids are invincible, right?" Cassandra glared at him. "I'm going to ask you again. What are you _doing_ , Elijah?"

"As we have discussed, our illusion needs to be flawless," Elijah carefully set one of the planks of wood down on the floor and leaned them against the side of the crib before turning toward her. "Now, months have passed. It's the appropriate time."

Cassandra could barely believe her ears. "Appro…appropriate time?" She gawked at him and folded her arms across her chest. "What's next, then? Klaus and I hold our heads up high and say we're ready to try again?"

"I understand that this is difficult."

"Do you? Do you really?"

"Cassandra, I—"

"What's difficult is knowing that Francesca Guerrera is still breathing after she was the one that plotted with the witches to kill my baby."

"You will have your vengeance. I promise you this," he looked her straight in the eyes as he spoke.

"Well, until then, this is my room," she grabbed the wooden planks out of his hands. "And I'll tell you when it's appropriate to clean it out."

She stepped back, leaving a clear path to the door, and looked away. After a beat, she glanced back at him so see if he'd picked up on her cue that she wanted him to leave the nursery. She found him studying her through narrowed eyes, clearly surprised by her reaction. He read her loud and clear, though, and walked out a moment later.

Once he was gone, she placed the planks of wood back into the crib where they belonged and put the rest of the baby things away where they had originally been. She looked around when she was done to make sure nothing else was out of place. Satisfied, she walked over to the doorway and turned the light off before closing the door with a soft click.

She walked over to the bed and grabbed her jacket from the bed where she'd left it. She hung it up in the closet and collapsed on the bed with a heavy sigh. Now that she was calmer, she began to replay her last encounter with Elijah in her mind. _I was kind of a bitch to him, wasn't I? He was just trying to be helpful. I probably could have been…I don't know…less grumpy. And now I know what I have to do, and it sucks. But if I don't do it, this annoying guilt is going to keep festering until I go bananas. God, these hybrid emotions really suck sometimes!_

She let out another breath of air as she sat back up and pushed herself back onto her feet. She made her way down the long hallway in search of Elijah. He wasn't in the parlor. Klaus had commandeered that room for his painting. Using her vampire hearing, she could detect some shuffling around coming from Elijah's study. She approached the doorway and watched him for a moment while she gathered her bearings. He had his back to the door as he stood towering over the desk, thumbing through different papers for something. Even though she was certain he heard her coming, she politely cleared her throat to get his attention before speaking.

"Elijah?" She called out in a soft voice.

"Yes?" Elijah answered without turning around.

"I..uh...well, the thing is..." She fumbled her words. Her stammering caught his attention, making him stop what he was doing and turn toward her. She swallowed slowly and took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak again. "I just wanted to say that I'm...I shouldn't have chewed you out like that back in the nursery. I was coming off a crummy afternoon in the Bayou, and coming home to you dismantling the crib just...kinda made me snap a little. Okay, a lot. Anyway, I know you were just trying to help, and I appreciate that. So I guess what I'm trying to say is...I'm...I'm sorry."

A tiny smile tugged at Elijah's lips. "Apology accepted. I, too, would like to apologize for overstepping my boundaries. I should have had the forethought to realize how difficult a task it would be for you, and one you'd prefer to handle with Niklaus I imagine."

"Yes, you should have. I forgive you, though. Like I said, your heart was in the right place. Speaking of your brother, where'd he disappear to?"

"He went to pay Marcellus a visit after your friend Camille paid us a little visit and insisted we use him to our advantage as a weapon against the Guerrera wolves."

"Cami came by?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "She was looking for you."

"I guess it's a good thing I wasn't here then," Cassandra sighed. "We both know what I would have told her, and I know you both would have stopped me before a single syllable left my mouth. It's killing me to keep this huge secret from her."

"I know," Elijah murmured. Sensing her changing mood, he motioned for her to follow him. "Come. I think we could both use a drink while we wait for Niklaus to return."

"Definitely," Cassandra eagerly agreed.

As they made their way downstairs to the bar in the courtyard, Elijah filled her in on the latest development involving the twelve moonlight rings. "Now all we need to do is find out what happened to the white oak stake, get it back in our possession, and then we can eliminate the Guerreras."

On any other day, Cassandra would have been livid over the white oak being unaccounted for, but she refused to let the worry in. She was already dealing with enough as it was. Still, she was grateful that Elijah had been upfront with her about it.

"Thanks for telling me. I'm willing to bet Klaus won't reciprocate that particular sentiment, but since he's not here to groan about it, too bad for him," she cracked a small smile. Elijah smiled back as they came to a stop at the bar in the courtyard. Cassandra watched as he filled up two glasses with some bourbon and handed one of them to her.

"It's nice to see you smiling again, even if only for a mere moment," Elijah murmured as he brought his glass up to his lips to take a drink.

"Not a whole lot to smile about these days," Cassandra took a drink from her glass and savored the taste of the brown liquor.

"Perhaps I'll be able to change that," Klaus appeared in the courtyard and began walking towards them. They downed the rest of their drinks and met him in the middle, and then together they walked through another corridor into the dining room.

"How'd it go with Marcel?" Cassandra asked.

"Oh, it was most enlightening," Klaus answered as he walked alongside the long dining table.

"Did he have the white oak stake?" Her question made him stop abruptly as he reached the end of the table. He turned and flashed a scowl at Elijah before meeting Cassandra's eyes, clearly put out that Elijah had told her it was missing to begin with.

"No, he does not, nor do the Guerreras. If they did possess it, they'd have used it by now. We can use this to our advantage," he paused as he moved behind the chair at the head of the table and turned to face both Cassandra and Elijah. We have the Guerreras where we want them. We have them waiting, we have them worried, and now we know they're an army with no defenses against an Original."

"We don't know that for certain," Elijah wasn't as quick to come to the same conclusions.

"I'm willing to gamble," Klaus argued.

Elijah was still unconvinced. "It's too risky. The stake didn't just disappear, someone has it."

"One enemy at a time. In the end, we'll slay them all," Klaus murmured as he took a seat in the chair he'd been standing behind. He winced as the first of the twelve rings drew strength from him so it's wearer would not have to turn with the rising of the full moon. Cassandra was instantly at his side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as he shook his head in annoyance. "Tonight, we just have to plant the right seeds. And for that, we need help."

He went on to tell them about Marcel's friend Joe. Joe had fought the Crescent Wolves alongside Marcel back in the 1920's and owned a local record store. Earlier that day he'd been found out by Oliver and the other Guerrera wolves. They would have killed him on sight if it hadn't been for Davina. She had subdued the wolves with her magic long enough for him to get out of harm's way. Joe was a fighter, though, and when he was presented with an opportunity to help take those wolves down, he more than willingly jumped for it, even if meant giving up his life.

"We're taking the twelve original rings," Elijah paced as he, Klaus, and Cassandra formulated their plan of attack. "Four sit on the hands of the Guerrera brothers. One on Oliver, one on Francesca, three with the home security detail, and the rest scattered amongst her lackeys. Now, each ring is distinguishable by its setting. Gauche, like those that wear them."

"If they believe they can get their hands on the stake, they will come for me when I am weak," Klaus spoke softly. "Each ring we retrieve will strengthen me, but I will still be at a disadvantage."

"Ergo, any hope of our success depends entirely upon our working together," Elijah added, shifting his eyes from Klaus to Cassandra.

Klaus slowly stood up and turned so he was facing Cassandra. "Love, this is our fight. Are you absolutely certain you are up for this challenge?" He paused and took her by the hands. "Taking a life, whether it be human or supernatural, is never easy, but it is what must be done this night for our plan to succeed. Are you ready to go to battle?"

"I'm a hybrid now, like you. Invincible, like you," she cracked a small smile as she lightly squeezed his hand. "I can do this. I'm more than ready. Just promise me that Francesca doesn't come out of this alive."

"Her head will be delivered to you on a silver platter, sweetheart," Klaus murmured in a low voice as a sinister tugged at the corner of his lips.

"I'll deal with the last piece of the puzzle," Elijah spoke in a hushed tone and walked off to do so.

-o-

Cassandra stood in the parlor doorway a little while later, listening for the wolves to make their grand entrance while she watched Klaus sitting on the floor, leaning over a large canvas he was painting on. He leaned his head back and let out a soft gasp, signifying the first of the twelve rings had been removed from one of the wolves. He met Cassandra's eyes and flashed her a small smile only to have it fade as their hybrid senses picked up on the sounds of their guests arriving. Cassandra wiggled her eyebrows once at him and whooshed away to get into position.

She hid in one of the hallways, counting the different sets of footsteps. _So there are at least four, maybe six wolves to deal with. All right. Let's do this._ She ran her fingers against the edge of her black jacket while she waited for the first two wolves to come into view. As they reached the base of the stairs leading to the second floor, she whooshed behind them and grabbed them, snapping their necks instantly. She quickly pulled the moonlight rings they were wearing off of their fingers and pocketed them. As she was removing her hand from her pocket, the sound of feet landing on the ground made her spin around. She found five more wolves filling up the hallway. Her eyes instantly zeroed in on one of the female wolves who had a familiar ring on her finger.

"Have I mentioned that I've had a really crappy day…..make that months?" She hissed in a low voice as her hybrid face appeared. She lunged at them, using her hybrid speed and agility to jump, appear, and disappear in the blink of an eye. It was an easy fight, and once she had taken them all out, she removed the ring from the woman who wore it. She added it to the others in her pocket and hugged the wall. There was still one more wolf to deal with, and it was the one she was dreading the most.

She hid in the shadows until she heard his footsteps coming down the hall towards her and walked out into his path with a glare on her face. She pulled her arm back and then released it, punching him in the face as hard as she could. As his head recoiled to the side, she grabbed him and shoved him face first against the wall and kicked him in the back of the knees, sending him sinking to the ground.

"You think you're strong because of that ring, Oliver?" Cassandra growled as she pinned his head against the wall. "You're nothing. You were strong when you were part of Jackson and Hayley's pack and you ruined it." She pulled the moonlight ring off his finger and let him go. "I swear to God, if I see you with one of these again, I won't be so nice. Now get the hell out of my sight and out of my home before I change my mind about letting you walk out of here."

He didn't need to be told twice and scrambled away as quickly as he could. Cassandra took a few deep breaths to calm her down and went back upstairs to see how Klaus was doing. It almost appeared like he hadn't moved, but she could tell he had because there were two dead, bloodied bodies beside him. He was using the crimson as his paint and made long brush strokes on his canvas.

She backed away silently, not wanting to disturb him. She'd barely taken a few steps down the hallway when her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and found a new text from Elijah. _Francesca is fleeing the city. I believe you'll be able to cross paths with her before she makes it to the Mississippi. Please do pass her my condolences on her loss. ;)_

Cassandra was unable to stop herself from smirking as she shoved her phone back into her pocket and vanished from sight. She flew down the street and was out of the city in mere moments. Using a couple of shortcuts she knew of, she whooshed through the trees until she reached the road that led to the Mississippi Bridge. There were no cars in sight, so she made her began to make her way up the road towards the Quarter.

When she spotted the oncoming headlights from Francesca's car a few hundred yards ahead, she planted herself in the middle of the two-lane highway and waited. It didn't take long for Francesca to spot her and slam on her breaks. Cassandra whooshed out of sight as the car squealed to a stop and reappeared in front of the driver's door, slamming her hands against the window to get Francesca's attention. She could her the woman's muffled shriek in surprise and couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction she felt at terrorizing the woman who had been the cause of her pain and suffering. She opened the car door and yanked her by the arm.

"Please," Francesca begged. "Please don't kill me. Please!"

"Spare you?" Cassandra let out a howling laugh. "Like you spared me? Sorry. I'm afraid your time is up."

Cassandra bared her amber gold eyes and vampire fangs at Francesca before biting her neck as hard as she could. She let out a scream that quickly faded away as Cassandra fed until she was dead. When she was done, Cassandra let her lip body fall to the ground and turned around to head back to the compound in a bit of a daze.

When she got back to the compound she went upstairs and into the bathroom connected to her and Klaus's bathroom. She stopped in front of the vanity and slowly raised her head to look at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't recognize the face looking back at her with dried lines of blood on her chin. She turned on the water and leaned over to wash her face. When she was done, she grabbed a nearby hand towel to dry off. As she was staring in the mirror again at her now clean face, her eyes zeroed in on a small patch of blood that had dripped onto the neckline of her shirt. She turned the water back on and held the corner of the towel in her hand under it to dampen it more before dabbing it on the bloody spot on her shirt.

She scrubbed and blotted the spot on her shirt over and over, but she was unable to remove it completely. Her eyes began to fill with tears of frustration as she redampened the towel and put some extra elbow grease into her scrubbing effort, but it was to know avail. Each time she glanced up at her reflection in the mirror she could still see faded pink remnants of the blood, Francesca's blood. It was a reminder of her new reality as a hybrid—she was a predator and a killer.

She let out a low growl as she wiped her eyes and pounded her fist on the vanity countertop. "I'll just have to scrub harder."

She ran the cloth under the water again and gave it a few squeezes before raising her hand to scrub her shirt with all her might. When she glanced in the mirror a minute later, she nearly jumped when she found Elijah standing behind her.

"Got some of Francesca's blood on my shirt. I got most of it out, but there's still a little bit there," she murmured and lowered her gaze back to her chest as she continued to scrub.

"I think you got all of it," Elijah spoke in a gentle voice.

"No, I didn't. I can still see it," she choked back a sob as she shook her head. "I have to get all of it out. I can't have any reminders of the horrible things I did tonight."

"Cassandra," he placed his hands on top of her hands to stop her.

"No!" She jerked away from him and sunk down to the floor. Tears began spilling freely down her checks as she hugged her legs to her chest. "I-I killed her. Francesca looked me in the eye and begged me to spare her. I laughed in her face and fed on her until her heart stopped beating. Then I left her on the ground like roadkill. I thought I'd get closure by killing her, that I'd finally feel…I don't know…better. But I don't feel better. I don't feel peace. I feel horrible!"

Elijah crouched down beside her and continued to speak in the same gentle voice. "It's perfectly natural given what you're experiencing."

"Nothing about what I am, Elijah, is natural!"

"As a hybrid, you'll experience feelings with a greater intensity. It will take time to master control."

"I don't want to live like this, Elijah," Cassandra cried and shook her head back and forth. "I hate it! The anger, the aggression, the bloodthirst…it isn't me, it's not who I want to be. When I visited the Crescents in the bayou and got to know them, I finally understood the purity of being a wolf, the nobility. I killed eight wolves tonight before I got to Francesca. Eight of my own kind. What's noble about that? I acted no better than a—"

"Than a vampire," Elijah whispered.

"Everything's different now. I'm different. I was a mother, and now I'm a...a monster," her voice cracked. She buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

Elijah swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat and slowly reached for her wrists. "No," he spoke adamantly as he attempted to pull her hands away from her face. "You are not a monster, Cassandra. You are anything but."

"Yes I am!" She shouted back. "I'm a monster, just like the rest of you. I don't..I don't deserve to—"

"Elijah," Klaus appeared in the doorway. "Let me."

Elijah nodded and released Cassandra's wrists before standing up. He stepped out of the way so Klaus could take his place in front of Cassandra. She didn't fight him as he sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms.

"Ssssh, it's all right, sweetheart," he cooed in a soft voice while he rubbed her back in a soothing motion. She buried her face against his shoulder as her body shook with sob after sob. "Elijah is right, you know. You are strong and courageous, and beautiful. And you are going to be a wonderful mother to our daughter. You are not a monster. Everything you did tonight, you did for our little girl."

Cassandra's sobbing gradually slowed and eventually she grew calm and quiet. She allowed him to help her to feet and guide her out of the bathroom and over to the bed. He sat her down and carefully pulled off her jacket. Before draping it on the bed, he reached into one of the pockets and pulled out the moonlight rings that were inside and handed them off to Elijah. As Elijah left the room, Klaus grabbed a clean shirt out of the dresser for Cassandra and brought it over to the bed. She was still in a bit of a daze, so he peeled her damp shirt off her body and put the clean shirt on her. He took her by the hands and guided her down the hall to the parlor room where he sat her down on the plush leather couch.

"I'm going to go see what progress Elijah is making with destroying those rings. I'll be right back," he murmured and kissed the top of her forehead before walking out of the room.

Cassandra tucked her legs under her and curled up in the corner of the couch, using the top to rest her arm on so she could rest her forehead against her arm. A few minutes later Klaus returned and sat down on the corner of the coffee table in front of her.

"It will get better, love," Klaus spoke softly.

"When? I'm immortal now. If I can't get through today, how am I supposed to get through tomorrow?" She slowly met his eyes.

Klaus licked his lips as he took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking again. "You know, over the years I've had my share of friends, enemies, lovers, losses, and triumphs. With time, they all begin to run together. But you will find the real moments are vibrant. The rest just fades away. Your pain will fade."

"Not until I can hold our baby in my arms again," Cassandra whispered.

"And so you shall. But in order to do that, we need to regain control of the city. Now, we worked separately once to unite those wolves. We can work together to do it again. They don't need to be our enemies."

"After ambushing them, they're not gonna wanna be our friends, Klaus. After what I did, they won't want anything to do with me."

Klaus disagreed. "You waged a just war on those who would harm your child. They will understand and they will respect you for it. They will not turn their backs on you."

Cassandra nodded her head once. "What about all our other enemies? The witches don't stop plotting even after they're dead."

"We defeated my mother and her witches because we stood united," He moved to the couch and sat down beside her, turning his body so they were facing each other. "That is how we will face all our enemies. As a family."

He reached for her hand resting on the top and laced their fingers together before bringing it up to his mouth. He brushed his lips gently against the back of her hand and lowered it back down to the top of the couch as a smile spread across his lips. "Now, I believe I promised you I would show you what it means to be a hybrid. With the wolves no longer being a threat, I think it's time I made good on that promise. If you're up for it, of course."

Cassandra slowly curled her lips into a smile. "I am."


	25. Old Enemies Arise as New Allies Unite

**Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait. I really wanted to get this chapter out to you last week, but I never had a good window of time to sit down and get it uploaded to the site until now. Anyway, thank you so much for your patience and all of the kind words. I feel like a broken record saying that, but I just want to make sure you all know how incredibly grateful I am for the time you take to read my story and leave comments, no matter how short or long they may be. I think a bunch of you are going to be really happy with this chapter because of a certain someone who makes a long-awaited appearance. Any guess who? Heh, you'll have to read on to find out. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 25 - Old Enemies Arise as New Allies Unite**

Elijah eyed the concrete floor curiously as he entered the courtyard after returning from the city and came to a stop beside a trail of bloody paw prints heading towards the stairs. He started to follow them and stopped after a few steps. He crouched down to get a closer look and noticed the bloody paw prints had changed into bloody human footprints just before the base of the stairs. Frowning, he stood back up and followed the trail up the stairs and down the hall towards toward the bedroom Cassandra and Klaus shared. As he walked into the room he could hear running water coming from the bathroom. He walked forward and came to a stop in the open bathroom doorway.

"Checking up on me?" Cassandra murmured as she used her foot to turn off the water. She was lounging in the clawfoot bathtub with sudsy white bubbles hiding her naked body from view.

"You've had an eventful evening," Elijah raised his eyebrows slightly.

"When I found out Klaus was headed out to the Cauldron, I asked if I could go with him. He was reluctant, but eventually he caved," she let out a soft chuckle. "All the witches had to do was one tiny locator spell to find the white oak stake, but they refused. Not just once, mind you, but twice. After they said no to Klaus, I gave it a shot, even offered to make a deal with them, a favor for a favor, but they still wouldn't do it. I sort of...lost it after that and...well, I'm sure you can guess how that played out."

"I see," Elijah answered softly. "I would expect that sort of behavior from Niklaus, but not you."

"Oh, don't judge, Elijah," Cassandra sighed. "It's not like I went after an innocent human or something."

"No, I suppose not. Still, I would hope you would hold yourself to a higher standard than that."

Cassandra let out a low sigh and leaned forward for the towel she'd left out on the chair beside the tub. Her fingers had barely grazed the fabric when Elijah grabbed it and unfolded it before holding it up for her and effectively blocking her wet, naked body from his line of sight. Cassandra stood up and grabbed both ends of the towel as he wrapped it around her body.

"Well, I'm trying, but I'm a hybrid now. I have a new werewolf temper to go with my new vampire appetite. It's a lot to get used to and learn to control," she tightened the towel around her body as she stepped out of the tub. "I don't feel any guilt for feeding on the witches who tried to kill my baby. They aren't worth anything more than food. Excuse me."

She walked around him and went back into the bedroom to get dressed. She heard the door shut softly as she was digging a bra and pair of underwear out of the dresser. She peaked over her shoulder to confirm she was alone and let her towel fall to the floor before putting on her undergarments. Once they were on, she shuffled over to the closet to pick out something to wear. As she was thumbing through her hanging clothes, she used her super hearing to listen in on Elijah, for she was certain he'd gone to have a chat with Klaus.

"When you agreed to teach Cassandra how to use her new abilities, a witch hunt was not what I had in mind," she heard Elijah say.

"What do you want me to say, Elijah? I'm not apologizing for letting her come with me," Klaus answered back. "I would have made the witches pay for refusing to locate the white oak stake, but she beat me to it. Oh, you should have seen her brother. She quite enjoyed herself. She was actually smiling for the first time in weeks. She is embracing this. A little less criticism from you, and Cassandra will be just fine."

"Niklaus, the mother of your child deserves much better than 'just fine'!" Elijah bellowed. He softened his voice a moment later. "You'll take her to the bayou. Perhaps her friend Hayley can reach her and help her reconnect with some of her humanity and some degree of dignity."

Cassandra sighed as she stood fully clothed in front of the dresser mirror combing her hair. _Maybe Elijah's right. I do need to find a way to reconnect with my humanity. I do need to be better. For Hope. Still, Klaus is right about one thing. I did enjoy taking down those witches._ She couldn't suppress the soft chuckle that escaped her lips as she continued to work on her hair while she waited for Klaus to come find her and break the news of their upcoming trip to the Bayou.

* * *

Up in the attic at St. Anne's church Davina Claire sat hunched over at a desk while she poured over Esther Mikaelson's grimoire. She'd managed to get her hands on it and was trying to figure how to create her own spell to remove Klaus's sire link. While the Guerrera Wolves had been trying to take over the French Quarter, Davina had been visited by a ghost trying to break free from the Other Side before it imploded. This ghost claimed to be the one person in all the world that could kill Klaus, if she could successfully bring them back.

Yes, this ghost was the notorious vampire who hunts vampires, and Klaus's father, Mikael. Davina had been successful in bringing him back, and he wasted no time in going after the Original Hybrid. He snuck into the compound, found the white oak stake, and crept toward the nursery where Klaus had stood peering down at the crib where he'd placed his newborn daughter. Unfortunately for Mikael, Davina had other plans. She knew that killing Klaus meant her two closest friends, Marcel and Josh, would also die, so she used a bunch of dark objects she'd swiped from the hidden room in Kieran's secret apartment and created a bracelet that gave her complete control over Mikael. She imprisoned him in the same place she'd been kept in, unwilling to release him until she'd found a way to keep her friends alive.

As she scribbled away in her own notebook, Mikael sat behind her in a chair, bored beyond belief.

"How frustrating," he mused in a low voice. "A novice trying to interpret the work of a master."

Davina glanced over her shoulder at him, scoffing softly. "It's a simple delinking spell."

"Simple?" Mikael pushed himself onto his feet and walked over to stand on the opposite side of the desk, facing Davina. "You're trying to erase the link between Klaus and every single vampire he's sired."

"No, all I care about is Marcel and Josh. You kill Klaus, they die too. I can fix that. I have Esther's Grimoire. It's just a matter of time."

"Perhaps I can help you solve the riddle."

Davina tilted her head to the side. "Unless you trick me into a spell that will free you from my control."

"You know, for someone who despises Klaus so much, you certainly share his paranoia. The sooner you perform the spell, the sooner I'll be free to kill the bastard," Mikael told her.

Davina's phone beeped loudly on the book she'd left it on. She picked it up and saw she had a text message from her new friend Kaleb. She had met him outside the record store a few weeks earlier. His text was an invite for coffee. She glanced up at Mikael for a brief moment before rising to her feet and sent Kaleb a quick reply as she left the attic.

Unbeknownst to her, Kaleb was waiting in the shadows of the church. He watched as she walked down the center aisle and out the front doors. He waited until he heard them click shut before heading to the back of the church where she'd just left from. He knew she was up to something, and he wanted to know what. Unfortunately, when he tried to open the door to the attic, it would not budge. He quickly deduced it had been locked with a spell and left the church as quickly as he could.

A little while later he was walking in Lafayette Cemetary with Cassie and Vincent, who were possessed by Esther and Finn Mikaelson. "Well, you were right to be suspicious. Davina's hiding something in that attic. The door was locked with a rather complex spell."

"Could be a weapon, source of power," Esther suggested. "I'd prefer not to leave anything to chance. Better we know what she has and whose side she's on. So you'll take her to dinner."

Kaleb made an uninterested face. "I just stood her up for coffee. She probably hates me by now."

"Just do as your told, Kol," Finn mumbled in annoyance.

"Of course, Finn the sycophant speaks up," Kol, in Kaleb's body, rolled his eyes as a smirk tugged at his lips. He never could resist an opportunity to pick on his oldest brother. "You gonna grovel at your mother's heels for eternity or what?"

"Or maybe the reason you don't want to cozy up to Davina is because there's someone else you'd rather be getting close to. Someone like, oh I don't know, Cassandra?" Finn shot back.

"Leave her out of this," Kol growled in a low voice.

"Stop it, both of you," Esther scolded them in a calm voice. "There's enough conflict to come."

They rounded the corner of a tomb and walked up to a group of werewolves from the bayou who were waiting for them.

"Look at this pack of freeloaders," Kol looked around at them.

"Nonsense. These are our friends," Esther smiled at the werewolves. "Wolves in need of a gift only I can provide. Moonlight rings." She led Kol and Finn into a larger mausoleum where a number of witches were working on cutting, shaping and setting black kyanite stones into rings. "The witches have been working day and night. Soon we will have enough rings for an army. And when we do, we will pay your brothers a visit." She reached into a bucket full of dozens of small black stones and picked one up. "And we will teach them the unfortunate error of their vampire ways."

"And Cassandra?" Kol asked quietly. "What about her?"

Esther turned to him. "Don't worry, Kol. I have other plans for her."

* * *

"I told you this place is deserted," Cassandra sighed as she and Klaus walked through the empty wolf encampment in the depths of the Bayou wilderness.

"No, their scent is fresh. They're hiding," Klaus disagreed. They came to a stop beside a small tent. Klaus flipped up one of the open flaps and peered inside. It was empty. "Which means somewhere nearby, we will find the remnants of Hayley's pack."

"And then what? It's not like they're exactly gonna welcome us. I'm not a member of their pack. I'm not the human who helped free them, not anymore. All they'll see when they look at me is another vampire. And if there's one thing these people hate more than vampires, it's hybrids," Cassandra rested her hands on her hips. "They won't want anything to do with me. Or you."

Klaus slowly turned toward her. "What they hate is their lack of power. Hence the willingness of their brethren to deal with that witch in exchange for rings. But she hasn't gotten to this lot yet, so we need to get to them first and ensure they align with us. For that, we will need Hayley. She has the respect of the pack, and she will listen to what you have to say."

"Fine," Cassandra murmured and dropped her arms to her sides knowing it was useless to argue. "So how do we find them?

"That is a task I leave to you." Cassandra stared at him blankly, so he continued. "You're a hybrid now, with heightened senses unlike anything under the sun, well, besides me."

Cassandra nodded and took a deep breath before closing her eyes. She tried to focus on the sights and smells all around her, but all she could pick up was dirt and swamp water. She opened her eyes and let out a low hiss. "This is stupid. I can't focus enough to do this. I can barely get through an entire day without wanting to curl up in a fetal position and bawl my eyes out. I may appear put together on the outside, but inside," she patted her chest with her hand. "I'm a mess, Klaus. All I can think about is how much I miss our daughter."

Klaus stepped toward her and took her face in his hands, gently caressing her cheeks. "I miss her too, sweetheart. Every moment of every day. I have not stopped thinking about her since the night I handed her off to Rebekah. When it pains me, I seek comfort in the idea of what I will do to those who would harm her."

"You would," Cassandra rolled her eyes, laughing softly. Klaus smiled at her and leaned in, brushing his lips lightly against her forehead.

"Now, are you ready to try again?" He asked as he let go of her face and motioned at a brown plaid jacket draped over a wooden chair a few feet away. Cassandra nodded and walked over to the chair. She picked up one of the sleeves and brought it up to her nose, inhaling deeply. "Concentrate."

When she lifted her head she took another deep breath. There it was, a matching scent in the air. She met Klaus's eyes, then turned and followed the trail. Klaus was right behind her with a proud grin on his face.

After a few minutes of walking, they came to a stop just outside a clearing. Cassandra's eyes instantly landed on the familiar blonde haired wolf, Oliver. He appeared to be assisting other members of the pack as they packed up their belongings. She scanned the rest of the pack and saw no sign of Jackson anywhere.

"So Jackson is MIA," Cassandra murmured. "And now Oliver seems to think he's the new Alpha. They're not going to want to listen to anything I have to say."

Klaus had his eyes on the pack and locked onto a familiar brunette. He pointed her out to Cassandra. "There's Hayley. She will listen to you."

Cassandra followed his gaze over to Hayley who stood off to the side talking to someone. Sensing she was being watched, Hayley sent her pack mate off to help others and looked around. Her eyes landed on Cassandra's. She blinked in surprise and them motioned toward the surrounding lake with her head. Cassandra nodded and left Klaus to watch the pack while she headed toward the lake. She beat Hayley there, so she stood gazing at the water until Hayley's voice caught her attention.

"Hey Cassandra," Hayley flashed her a welcoming smile.

"Hey," Cassandra smiled back. "Thanks for being willing to meet with me."

"Figured it had to be pretty important for you to come all the way out here. Thanks, by the way, for sparing Ollie. Jackson wanted to say that himself, but he's..."

"Missing. I gathered as much when I saw Oliver acting all tough and Apha-like back there. Look, I'll cut to the chase. We...Klaus and I...we need your help. There's a new crazy witch in town trying to build a werewolf army. We were hoping we could join forces to stop her. You in?"

"Well, of course I am, but the pack is going to be a little harder to convince."

"I know," Cassandra folded her arms across her chest. "I was hoping you'd help get them to at least listen to what Klaus and I have to say."

"That I can do," Hayley smiled. "Come on."

They made their way back to where Klaus stood watching the pack. Hayley led them out of the shadows and into the clearing. The second Cassandra and Klaus came into view behind her, the pack rushed away from them and stood in a group behind Oliver.

"The hell those two want?" Oliver hissed at Hayley.

"Hold your tongue or I'll tear it from your gaping mouth," Klaus glared at Oliver.

"We didn't come here to fight Oliver," Cassandra spoke in a calm voice.

Hayley held up a hand. "Just listen to what they have to say, Ollie."

Cassandra took a deep breath before speaking again. "Your pack has been divided by people who want you to be their slaves. You need help to be strong again. You need someone who will fight for your pack. I was that person once. I can be that person again, if you'll let me."

"You think we can trust you?" Oliver narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head. "You're not one of us. Hell, you're not even a wolf. You're a vampire parasite."

"You wanna say that again and see what happens, Oliver?" Cassandra glared as she took a step towards him, "I've kicked your ass once already. We both know I can do it again."

He stepped towards her. "You a tough girl? You gonna attack me? In front of all them?" He motioned at the other crescent wolves. "You'll just give 'em another reason to say yes to Cassie and her moonlight rings. Yeah, they would rather follow a witch than join forces with you. Me? I'd rather die than be allies with you."

Having heard enough, Klaus whooshed forward and punched Oliver so hard it sent him flying onto his back with a loud groan. Klaus stepped on his chest to keep him there. "Well, at least you didn't drag this out."

"Hey!" Both Cassandra and Hayley snapped as they walked up to him.

"Let him go, Klaus," Cassandra ordered.

"You need to learn about the art of politics, sweetheart. You gain support by killing your detractors," Klaus glared down at Oliver.

Cassandra placed a hand on Klaus's arm. "These people may not like me anymore, and why would they? They don't know the new me. But they know Hayley. They, including Oliver, are her family. Let him go. _Now._ "

Klaus glanced around at the surrounding werewolves who were watching with fear in their eyes before turning back to Cassandra. "Very good, love. You've just shown them how merciful you are, unlike me." He removed his foot from onto of Oliver and walked up to her. "These people need to show you a little more respect. How you handle them now is up to you. I'll see you back at the compound."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find the witch. Seems I need to educate her as to what she may or may not do in my city."

Cassandra nodded and watched him disappear into the trees. When she turned back to the pack, her eyes landed on Oliver who was still on the ground. She let out a soft breath and walked up to him, extending a hand out to help him up. "Truce?"

Oliver ignored her gesture and scrambled back onto his feet without her help. Cassandra shook her head in disappointment and lowered her hand back to her side. As he started to walk away, Cassandra called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. "You're wrong, you know."

He slowly turned around to face her, confusion written on his face. "About what?"

"Before. When you said I wasn't a wolf, you were wrong."

"What?" Hayley murmured in surprise. "But your family doesn't have the gene."

"The Forbes don't. Turns out, I'm not just a Forbes. My mom had a drunken one night stand with an old classmate a few days before she married my dad. She confessed, he forgave her, and they got married. When I came along nine months later, they didn't think anything of it. Now we all know better. And now, Tyler isn't the only Lockwolf you know," Cassandra's lips slowly curled into a smile.

"No way!" Hayley's eyes widened. "You and Tyler—"

"Share the same father. Yep. You should have seen his face when I told him and he realized he tried to kill his own niece. Anyway..." Cassandra turned from Hayley back to Oliver. "All of that was just to say, I'm more like you than you think."

"Still doesn't make you one of us," Oliver grumbled.

"Enough," Hayley spoke in a low, authoritative voice. She looked from Oliver to everyone else. "Cassandra may not be a Crescent by blood, but she _is_ one of us. If Jackson were here, he'd say the same thing. If anyone else has issues with her being here with us, speak up now." When no one said anything, Hayley's posture and voice relaxed. "Good. Now that we're all on the same page, let's figure out what we need to do next."

"What happened to decorum?" Klaus waved his outstretched arms around as he walked through Lafayette Cemetery later that night. There was a layer of fog which made the cemetery look particularly creepy in the dim candlelight of various candles placed throughout the place. "Does no one greet their guests anymore?"

He turned a corner and smiled as he heard the sound of numerous feet hitting the pavement. In a matter of seconds he was surrounded by a few dozen wolves who formed a big circle around him.

"Well that's more like it," Klaus looked at them. "Although I am rather disappointed at how many of my once formidable brethren have been neutered by a sixteen-year-old girl. Where is she? Where is this witch who dares craft moonlight rings without my permission?"

"Niklaus," a female voice called out from behind the circle of wolves. They parted, allowing Cassie/Esther to walk forward to him in the middle of the circle. As approached him, she tilted her head and gave him a coy sideways smile. "I've been expecting you."

Cassie/Esther led him inside a large mausoleum and motioned for him to take a seat at a small circular wooden table while she prepared some tea. "I must offer my condolences," she murmured while she poured tea from a teapot into two cups. "On the loss of your child."

"Wasn't it your coven who threatened her life?" Klaus spoke in a low voice. He watched as she set down the teapot. "Is that tea your idea of a peace offering?"

"Chamomile has lots of healing properties," Cassie/Esther handed him one of the cups of tea and took a seat next to him. "Did you know that it's also a flowering plant?"

Klaus set the cup of tea down on the table. "I did. The plants grew wild near my boyhood home, but neither the tea or your botanical musings explain the reason why you've taken it upon yourself to forge new moonlight rings."

"I assumed it was obvious. An alliance between the wolves and the witches would restore balance to our home."

"Well, that's a lofty goal for a teenage girl."

Cassie/Esther drank a small sip from her teacup. "Long ago, the witches and the wolves were at peace. Then came the vampires. A plague made flesh. A curse on this earth. You have no humanity, and so you punish those who do. Witches have a coven. Werewolves have a pack. And so we are a constant reminder of everything that you have foresaken. Creatures such as you will always hate the living, and so we will always have to defend ourselves. The rings level the playing field. If we are united, nothing can stand against us."

"It's an ambitious strategy," Klaus raised his eyebrows slightly, pretending to be impressed. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together. "Allow me to offer a few words of advice, if I may be so bold. New Orleans is a vicious place and your enemies are everywhere. Behind your back. Before your eyes. You will need to remain vigilant against those who would seek to destroy you, some of whom you may never see coming."

"I've already begun to take precautions," Cassie/Esther murmured. "In fact, I'm taking them as we speak."

Klaus eyed her curiosly, but remained silent. He picked up his cup of tea and brought it up to his lips, taking a slow sip before setting it back down. Since the moment he'd started talking to Cassie, he'd began to suspect she wasn't who she claimed to be. "Chamomile. It's the same tea my mother made. How I loathed it."

"Would you have preferred mint?" Cassie/Esther asked in a light tone.

"You know she was insane, my mother," Klaus whispered. A smile appeared on his face as he stared back at Cassie's unamused face. "No, it's true. She believed we were abominations. 'A curse on this earth stretched out over generations.' was how she put it. But she was the true monster. She changed her children, stole our innocence, made us vampires, condemned us to an eternity of blood lust. And then acted as if we were to blame."

"She sounds awful," Cassie gave a sarcastic gasp as she set down her cup of tea. "Are you building to a question, Niklaus?"

He glared at her. "You use my full name as though we are familiars. I find it insulting. Before she died, a witch revealed that your coven was under my mother's influence. Does she speak to you now?"

"She doesn't have to," Cassie/Esther answered in a soft voice. She leaned forward slightly and smiled at him. "I know exactly what she would say. She would tell you to go to your room for being so rude."

Klaus sprang to his feet and grabbed her arm. As he towered over her and looked into her eyes, he knew then that his suspicions about her were true. Before he could do anything else, the werewolves began piling into the mausoleum.

"It's okay," Cassie/Esther reassured the wolves as Klaus let go of her and leaned back up as he turned toward them. "Niklaus was just leaving."

"I will happily kill them all," he turned back toward Cassie/Esther, growling softly.

"Then you will have murdered members of the pack you still hope to someday lead. Besides there's no need for bloodshed," she picked up her cup of tea and stood up. "We can always resume this discussion another day. Goodnight, Niklaus." She turned and walked past him. "We will speak again soon."

-o-

"It was worse than we thought," Klaus stood in the cellar at the compound with Elijah later that night, a scowl on his face. He broke off the neck clean off of a bottle of bourbon he held in his hand with ease. "I met the witch. Cassie. I studied her, her presence, the way she carried herself. The fervor with which she voiced her hatred of our kind. I looked into that girl's eyes and I swear to you, Elijah, she is not just guided by our mother, she _is_ our mother."

Elijah stared at him, stunned. He had his own startling revelation to reveal, and hearing Klaus's news about their mother's return only increased his worry.

"What is happening?" He murmured as he paced past Klaus. He rubbed his forehead as he struggled to understand.

"I'm going to kill her," Klaus declared, not paying attention to the obvious distress Elijah was showing. "I will boil her bones and feed them to the dogs if that's what it takes."

"Niklaus," Elijah tried to get his attention.

"What?" Klaus snapped and turned around to face him. "What could possibly be more important than the return of our mother?"

"Our father," Elijah answered. Klaus's face fell instantly. "I saw him standing there in the flesh as you do now. He was enslaved by some spell cast by Davina. He holds the white oak stake."

"Oh..." Klaus whispered, shaking his head both in fear and fury.

"If she chooses to release him..." Elijah started to point out. He didn't need to finish the thought. Klaus knew exactly what that horror meant.

Nodding in acceptance, Klaus licked his lips as determination set in. "Well, then there's only one question we need to ask, isn't there?" Elijah stared blankly at him. "Which of our parents do we kill first?"

They discussed their options while drinking from their own bottles of bourbon until they heard Cassandra arriving back at the compound. Neither looked forward to sharing the news of Esther and Mikael's return with her, but they knew she needed to know. Having taken it upon himself to be the one to tell her, Klaus headed into the courtyard to catch her as she came inside. He was surprised to find she wasn't alone.

"Take any of the rooms on the first floor," Cassandra instructed Hayley and the other crescent wolves that she'd brought back to the city with her as she led them into the courtyard.

"Welcome back, love. What's this? Are we running a kennel now?" Klaus called out as he approached the group.

Cassandra motioned for the wolves to keep going as she broke away from them and walked over to Klaus. "Hello to you too. Don't worry, I'll handle them. So will Hayley."

"Our family is under siege. It is not the time for guests," Klaus stared back at her.

"If they're not with us, they're with the witches. You wanted allies, this is me getting them for us. Sometimes a little hospitality can go a long way."

"Well," Klaus's lips curled into a grin. "It seems I'm a good influence on you after all."

"I can neither confirm or deny that notion," Cassandra chuckled lightly.

Klaus smiled at her for a moment before shifting his gaze back to the wolves. "I don't see Oliver among them. Am I to assume you finished him off?"

Cassandra shook her head as she folded her arms across her chest. "We made a deal. He'll pledge his loyalty to Cassie, report back, and tell Hayley and me everything he learns."

"Well done," Klaus nodded his head in approval.

"Thought you might say that. Maybe you really are starting to rub off on me. Not sure that's actually a good thing," she shook her head slightly at the thought.

"Oh nonsense," Klaus disagreed. He stepped closer to her and reached for her hands, clasping them in his own. "Before you go to help our new guests get situated, there's something you need to know. Both Elijah and I made startling discoveries tonight. I went to see the witch, Cassie. She is not who she claims to be. She is, in fact, my mother returned from the dead."

"Cassie is Esther?" Cassandra murmured softly. "Totally didn't see that coming."

"None of us did. That's not the worst of it. Elijah located the white oak stake. It seems Davina Claire has been keeping secrets from all of us until now. She found a way to resurrect Mikael. It is he who possesses the stake. Fortunately for us, Davina has him bound by a magical leash of sorts, according to Elijah."

"Oh my god," Cassandra gasped and covered her mouth.

"Don't worry too much about it, sweetheart," he murmured and gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. "We will end both of them soon enough."

Cassandra nodded silently. What Klaus had just told her was a lot to process. She was grateful he had told her, and even more grateful to have the crescent wolves on their side. They were going to need their help more then ever now.

With nothing more to be done that night, Klaus left Cassandra to tend to the wolves and headed upstairs. Cassandra walked over to a couple of girls who weren't quite sure where to go and pointed them in the right direction. She started to walk with them when the sound of approaching footsteps made her stop and turn around.

"You two have your hands full," Elijah murmured as he came down the stairs into the courtyard.

Cassandra eyed him curiously as he passed by her. "Were you just leaving?"

He came to a stop and turned around to face her. "To be perfectly honest with you, the presence of all of them here, it's a little much."

"Oh. I see," Cassandra murmured softly. A wave of sadness washed over her at the thought of him not being there and it showed in her eyes.

"Don't worry," Elijah reached for her hand and held it clasped between both of his. "I assure you, it is only temporary. Besides, it'll be good for you to be around your kind. They'll help you remain connected to your humanity."

"But you'll still be, you know, around? You're not disappearing on me all together?"

"No, of course not. I'm just putting some space between me and your friends."

Cassandra let out a small sigh of relief. "Good."

Elijah gave her hand a small squeeze before letting go of it and turned around to head outside. Cassandra watched him until he was out of sight and then went to see how Hayley and the other wolves were settling in.


	26. Esther's Invitation

**Hey everyone! Thank you for waiting so patiently for me to update. I am at a loss for words over all of the wonderful things you've all had to say. To know you guys love Cassandra as much as I do. I've worked really hard to develop her and make her as real and imperfect as we are. I know the past few chapters were quite Elijah heavy, but this one has more of a mixture of multiple characters, plus a super steamy moment between Cassandra and Klaus right off the bat. Someone asked if Cassandra was going to marry Jackson. No, definitely not. I have a plan for that whole plot point (because it's still very important) which will be revealed in upcoming chapters, so stay tuned for that. With that said, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Happy reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 26 - Esther's Invitation**

Cassandra came downstairs to the courtyard the next morning and found a table set up next to the tall stone fountain with delicious freshly baked breads, bowls of juicy ripe fruit, platters of cheeses, and a glass carafe of orange juice. She plucked a couple of grapes from one of the bundles and plopped them into her mouth. She savored them and picked up a dark red strawberry from the same bowl. As she brought it up to mouth and bit into it, the sound of approaching footsteps drew her attention away. She glanced over her shoulder and found Klaus rounding the bottom of the stairs and heading toward her. She took a second bite out of her strawberry and started to turn her head to speak to him as he came to a stop beside her, but before she could get a word out he spun her around and pulled her to him, capturing her lips in a tantalizing kiss. He pulled away after a few seconds and licked his lips.

"Mmm, delicious," he grinned as Cassandra slowly opened her eyes and tried to get her brain to form coherent thoughts again. Klaus only grinned wider. "It's quite a different experience now, isn't it love?" He brought his lips down to her ear and continued to speak in a whisper. "Just wait until we're able to spend some time alone. Then I'll really show you what you've been missing out on."

It took every ounce of willpower Cassandra had to keep herself from grabbing him and disappearing into their bedroom. She let out a low, annoyed growl and untangled herself from him so she could throw the strawberry stem into a nearby wastebasket.

"So which restaurant's missing a compelled chef?" She asked as she returned to the table and did her best to appear unbothered by his teasing.

"It's certainly a card I've played in the past, but I had no hand in this," Klaus gestured at the table with his hand.

"Hmm. Well, then I guess we have Elijah to thank," Cassandra decided.

"This wasn't my doing," Elijah came walking down the stairs on the other side of the table to join them.

"Then where did this all come from?" Cassandra looked from him to Klaus. Before anyone could answer, a platter covered with a metal lid began to rattle and shake, making her flinch in surprise. "Woah!"

Elijah tightened his jaw as he pressed the back of his hand against the edge of the lid. Klaus stared curiously at the platter and slowly reached for the handle on top of the metal lid. When he pulled it off, Cassandra let out a gasp as a pair of black starlings flew out towards the ceiling. Cassandra watched the birds fly away, then turned back to the table. Her eyes instantly landed on the platter. All that lay on it was a folded piece of paper.

"What in the world was that?" Cassandra stared at them.

Klaus reached toward the platter and picked up the paper, unfolding it with one hand so he could read it. It said ' _Dinner. Your home. 8pm'_ in big, black fancy lettering. He glanced up at Elijah. "An invitation from our mother."

He met Elijah's stone gaze momentarily, then turned on his heal and headed back up the stairs. Cassandra watched him leave, taken aback by his abrupt departure. She let out a soft breath as she took one last look at the table of delicious food before heading after him. She reached their bedroom and found him standing out on the balcony staring down at the city below as he held the invitation from Esther in his hand. Not wanting to disturb him, Cassandra stretched out on the bed and waited for him to come back inside.

"It is times like this that make me really appreciate my own mother," Cassandra slowly sat up when Klaus finally came back inside a little while later.

"You are lucky," he murmured as he came to a stop in front of a small table next to the dresser and set down the invitation before turning around to face her. "We have enough enemies here. And now the war for our home is to be fought against my own family."

"Your wretched mother and her disciples tried to put a knife through our baby's heart. I will happily attend this dinner and add to the body count," the tone of her voice was dead serious. Klaus cracked a small smile, clearly pleased by her admission.

"You will do no such thing," Elijah entered the room and stood just inside the doorway. "Esther is a master in the art of possession. We know whose body she currently inhabits. We must decipher her intentions before she finds a host."

"Well, her last invitation was an assassination attempt on all her children. I think we can assume her intentions are decidedly foul," Klaus pointed out.

"Well then," Elijah tilted his head and glanced down at the watch he wore on his wrist. "We have this afternoon to prepare for the worst."

He turned around and left the room. Cassandra slowly rose to her feet and walked over to Klaus. "Wow. I never thought I'd see the day where I preferred violence to being civil, but Elijah's right. We need to figure out what her big plan is before we take any action."

Klaus let out a soft chuckle as he placed his hands on her waist. "Don't worry, love. We will make sure our dear mother gets exactly what she deserves." He leaned in and pecked her lightly on the lips before letting go of her and leaving the room to begin making preparations for the night's big dinner.

* * *

The soft rumbling chatter of numerous patrons filled the air at Rousseau's. Oliver sat alone at the bar, nursing a glass of beer. He glanced around casually, looking for the person he was there waiting for. A moment later, a dark-skinned man, with short dark hair wearing a neatly pressed dark grey suit walked up to him.

"You're Oliver, correct?" The man leaned against the edge of the bar beside Oliver.

"Do I know you?" Oliver asked, staring straight ahead at the shelves behind the bar.

"No," The man took a seat in the tall bar chair next to Oliver. "But I am, in fact, the person you're meeting with this afternoon."

Olive had been raising his glass up to his mouth to take another drink and slowly set it back down on the bar top. "Look. Uh, I'm here to meet Cassie. I don't know who you are, friend, but you certainly are no teenage girl that has magic powers."

"What a keen sense of observation, _friend_ ," the man suppressed a laugh. "My name is Vincent. And when you speak to me, you are, in fact, speaking to Cassie. I, uh, offer this as proof."

Oliver stared as Vincent held up a ring with a deep black stone in the setting—a moonlight ring. Oliver slowly took it from him and slipped it onto the index finger of his right hand.

"So," Oliver slowly looked back up at Vincent. "If I decide I don't wanna answer to number two in chain of command?"

Vincent stared at him for a long moment. Wordlessly, he brought his left hand up to his mouth and blew against his thumb and index finger as he rubbed them together. Oliver let out a loud moan as his muscles seized up and sent him keeling over in pain.

"I could make an example of you," Vincent told him calmly. "Show your pack what happens when Cassie's requests are denied. Or..." He watched as Oliver continued to moan and groan in pain. "We could start again."

Oliver glanced sideways at him and nodded his head vigorously. Vincent reversed the direction he was rubbing his fingers in and the spell on Oliver seized. Oliver let out a huge sigh of relief and slowly leaned back in his chair as he caught his breath.

"That ring comes at a price," Vincent told him in a low voice. "And you'll begin paying for it today."

He turned around and walked away, leaving Oliver alone at the bar. Oliver waited until he was gone to reach for his phone and dialed a number before bringing it up to his ear.

* * *

"Skip the salad course," Klaus spoke to one of the caterers he'd hired for the big dinner event as they held out two different bottles of wine for him to choose from. "Let's not make this dreadful evening any longer than it needs to be."

He picked one of the bottles and dismissed the caterer as Cassandra walked into the dining hall. "So, I guess letting Oliver live paid off. He just informed me and Hayley that your mother has a partner in crime. Another witch."

Klaus stood with his back to Cassandra, admiring some gold candlesticks on top of a smaller table pushed against the wall. "Building alliances in her quest to destroy us, I imagine."

"Why does she hate you so much, Klaus?" Cassandra asked. "She had six kids, it's not like she doesn't have the maternal gene."

"Seven, actually," Klaus turned around to face her. He walked over to the large dining table and busied himself with laying out the cloth napkins. "And I think at one time, she loved us very much. One died before I was born."

"Oh my gosh. I didn't know. I'm so sorry."

"You only knew about the death of my brother Henrik. I believe the loss of a second child pushed my mother over the edge. So, she used her magic to turn us into immortals. I think that is when she loved us the most. But it was her undoing." He set the cloth napkins back down and walked over to the other end of the table to examine the china that had been selected. "It triggered a sequence of events that led to the reveal her long-held secret."

Cassandra knew this part. "Her affair with your birth father."

"Yes," Klaus nodded. "He was the werewolf whose pack killed my little brother. Of course, when Mikael found out, he murdered my real father. And so my mother lost her lover too."

"Oh wow," Cassandra's eyes widened. "No wonder she's crazy." Her words caused Klaus to turn around and gaze at her. "I'm out of my mind having just given away Hope. I can't imagine if she'd actually died. Or if I were to lose you."

"You know," Klaus walked up to her. "My siblings and I used to tell each other she didn't hate us. She hated herself for what we'd become. I think they believe that even after she tried to kill us all."

"What did you believe?" Cassandra whispered.

"I don't know," Klaus murmured. He slowly met her eyes. "I just knew I wanted her dead."

Cassandra reached out and caressed the side of his face. She couldn't believe he'd opened up about his former human life. She felt closer to him than ever. He turned his head the slightest bit and brushed his lips against the palm of her hand.

"Well, every good story needs a wicked witch," she flashed him a smile. "It'll be all the more satisfying when we melt her."

"Yes," Klaus laughed softly as he slid his arms around her waist and held her close. It will be."

* * *

A tan skinned middle-aged woman with long, curly black hair stood behind the counter in a convenience store, grinding herbs with a mortar and pestle. The door to the store opened, causing the bell above it to ring loudly. She glanced up to see Elijah walking up to the counter with a young, olive-skinned, dark haired young woman following behind him.

"Go away. I'm busy," the middle-aged woman, named Lenore, continued to focus on her herb grinding task.

With his hands in his pockets, Elijah stopped after taking a few steps past the doorway. "Yes, blatantly practicing magic I see."

"Herbal remedies for a neighbor who lost her insurance," Lenore answered. She looked up at him as she continued on. "But my guess is an Original ain't here to talk gossip."

"I have a favor to ask you," Elijah cut to the chase.

"Quarter's crawling with witches. Go ask one of them."

"Don't typically ask favors of my enemies."

"So you've come cross the river to bother me," Lenore furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"It's unfortunate, isn't it?" Elijah murmured as he walked the rest of the way up to the sales counter. "Bureaucracy has not been kind to your community. Those tax incentives on local businesses have been stalling for months. Of course, a persuasive person could potentially remove any red tape."

"I'm listening," Lenore set down her mortar and pestle, giving him her undivided attention.

"A certain someone, let's say a witch," Elijah went on. "Has a troublesome tendency of jumping into other bodies. When she does so again, I'd like to know into whom she jumps."

"Soul branding," Lenore was quick to answer with a nod of her head. "It's a sacrificial spell. I'm gonna need an item that's been spelled by the witch in question. And a python."

"I shall retrieve the enchanted item," Elijah turned to leave, passing by the young woman who had accompanied him to the store. "My partner will take care of the python."

"Ew, what?" The young woman, Gia, turned around to face him as he opened the door. She had been newly turned by Marcel and was seeking guidance from Elijah at Marcel's recommendation. So far, Elijah was not open to the idea of being someone's mentor.

"Second lesson of the day, acquisition through mind compulsion," Elijah told her before walking out of the store.

"How the hell do I do mind compulsion?" Gia wondered out loud. She let out a sigh and headed out the door, closing it behind her.

Lenore resumed her task of herb grinding, adding more fresh herbs to the mortar. The bell over the door chimed as someone entered the store.

"Can I help you?" She asked without glancing up. There was no immediate response. After a couple of silent seconds, she looked up and found herself staring at Vincent Griffith as he came to a stop in front of the counter.

"I'm most certain that you can," his lips curled into a slight smile.

* * *

"I heard from Kol, he's looking for the young witch," Vincent/Finn told Cassie/Esther as they strolled through Lafayette Cemetery later on in the day. "I imagine he'll find her soon enough."

"It's a shame he'll miss dinner. Although it is best that his new identity remains unknown. This witch you brought me, Lenore, she seems rather stubborn," Esther eyed her son as they rounded the corner of a mausoleum.

"Mother, I'd be happy to open her up to new possibilities," Finn cracked a tiny smirk.

"Have Oliver handle her. Your means of persuasion will be needed for dinner. Have we received any response to our invitation?"

"I imagine your message had quite the effect. Both he and Elijah have been on the move all day."

"Of course," Esther smiled. "Clever boys. Make sure you're ready for them this evening."

As they came to a stop outside the mausoleum where they were keeping Lenore, Finn turned to face his mother. "I've handled everything as you instructed."

"I'd expect nothing less from you," Esther reached out and stroked the side of Finn's face with the back of her fingers in the same manner from when he was a child. "Finn."

He nodded at her before turning around and walking through the gates into the candlelit mausoleum. Oliver was waiting inside and stared at him curiously as he approached.

"You torture your own?" Oliver was appalled at the notion. He was referring to Lenore who was chained to the crypt walls by her wrists. Her lip had been busted open and she had several cuts and bruises on her face and arms.

"No, I persuade" Finn murmured as he came to a stop beside a wooden barrel and opened a small satchel which held various instruments used for torturing. "I'd like for you to do the same." He walked over to Lenore and reached out to gently brush her hair from her face. "She had some visitors earlier today." Lenore groaned and shook her head away from his touch. "I'd like to know what they wanted."

Finn walked back towards the entrance gates, ignoring Oliver's horrified facial expression. He paused at a small table where a large hour glass had been placed and turned it over. As he set it back down, he met Oliver's eyes one last time. "Don't dally."

* * *

After learning of the soul branding spell from Lenore and what was required for it, Elijah relayed the details to Klaus. Klaus then went to pay Marcel a visit and procure the main item Lenore needed, an object spelled by the witch they were wanting to brand. The item Klaus sought was a necklace Esther had made him when he was a boy. She had cast a spell on it to keep him safe. He, in turn, had given it to Marcel as a gift when he had turned eleven. Marcel had kept it safely tucked away in a little wooden box and was happy to hand it over to Klaus. When he returned to the compound, Cassandra and Elijah met him in the hallway on the second floor.

"Now that Niklaus is back, what is this newest message from Oliver?" Elijah asked Cassandra, a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Marcel's witch is being held captive in the Quarter," Cassandra told them.

"Oh, perfect," Klaus sighed. "Mother's a step ahead of us, as usual."

"Oliver's with her," Cassandra continued, speaking quickly. "I'll go and I'll get her to do the spell, but I need the necklace." They both stared at her like she'd lost her mind.

"I don't like this whatsoever" Elijah started to protest.

"Out of the question," Klaus spoke in a low voice.

"Oh my god, you two are impossible," Cassandra growled. She ran a hand through her hair as she took a moment to regain her bearings and calm herself back down before trying again. "I know this isn't easy for either you to accept, but you need to. I am not the helpless and weak little human anymore. I'm a hybrid, an immortal, like you. I can do this, and moreover I want to. Please, _please_ let me do this."

Elijah remained silent while Klaus let out a soft sigh and slipped his hand into his jacket pocket. When he pulled it back out, he held up the necklace with his thumb and index finger and handed it to Cassandra.

She took it from him and clasped it tightly in her own hand. "Thank you."

"Be careful. At the first sign of trouble, you get out of there as fast as you can and come straight back here," Klaus looked her in the eyes as he spoke.

"I will," Cassandra nodded. She turned and started to walk past them toward the stairs leading to the courtyard.

"Wait," Elijah called out to her.

She stopped and turned back toward him. "If you're just going to protest some more then—"

"No, there's something else," he took a few steps towards her. "A disciple of Marcel's was instructed to fetch another ingredient. Ask for Gia."

"Okay," Cassandra nodded. Without another word, she turned on her heel and headed toward the stairs and made her way outside.

Driving Klaus's SUV, she sped through the streets to Lafayette Cemetery. Once she got there, she vamp-ran the rest of the way to the mausoleum where Lenore was being guarded by Oliver. She had to stifle a gasp when her eyes landed on Lenore chained to the wall by her wrists.

"They worked her over pretty good," Oliver murmured."

"We need to get her out of here," Cassandra walked up to her and pulled the chains loose from the wall. Lenore let out a sigh of relief as her arms fell to her sides.

"Well, then what?" There was a hint of panic in Oliver's voice. "They'll know that I let her go. Look, you asked me to infiltrate Cassie's coven. I'm not gonna blow my cover for some has-been hippie witch. No offense."

Cassandra turned back toward him while Lenore sat down on a nearby stool and rubbed her wrists. "I guess we could always make it look like you got jumped. Tell Cassie that Lenore got rescued by her people."

"Let me guess, you, uh, wanna beat the hell out of me? Make it look convincing?"

"Well, if you have a better idea, I'm all ears. Otherwise, that's what we're going to have to do."

"Okay. Just…not the face, okay?"

"Fine. Ready?"

Oliver took a deep breath and shook out his arms for a moment before relaxing them at his sides and nodding his head. Cassandra nodded in return. Without any warning, she made a fist and hit him hard in the gut, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to keel over with a loud groan. She whooshed behind him and kicked him in the back of the knee, making him loose his balance and fall to the floor. As he stuck his hands out to catch himself, she locked her arms around his neck in an iron tight choke hold. He slapped at her arms for a few seconds before they fell limply to his sides as he lost consciousness. She carefully laid him down on the ground and walked over to the stool where Lenore sat.

"It's gonna be okay, I promise," Cassandra murmured softly to the older woman.

"What's your dog in this fight?" Lenore slowly stood up. "You're not a Mikaelson."

"I sort of am in spirit," Cassandra smiled weakly.

Lenore's eyes widened slightly in recognition. "The human who gave birth to the Original Hybrid's child."

"Now a hybrid turned witch rescuer apparently. Listen," Cassandra turned and motioned at the table where the hour glass stood with a python wrapped around it. "Can we do the spell or not?"

"After what that bitch and her lackey did to me, I'll do any spell you want," Lenore nodded her head and walked past Cassandra to leave the crypt. Cassandra sighed and grabbed a burlap sack she found in the corner and quickly stuffed the python inside of it before following after Lenore.

When they arrived at Lenore's shop, they made their way to the room in the back where Lenore set up a big pot to mix the ingredients in for the spell.

"So will this take long?" Cassandra asked in a light voice as she came to a stop in front of Lenore's workspace.

"You want me to soul-brand the resurrected spirit of a thousand-year old witch," Lenore took the sack containing the python from Cassandra. "It's best I take my time and do it right."

"Got it," Cassandra mumbled.

Lenore carefully took the snake out of the bag as she continued to speak. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. No one should ever have to lose a child."

"No. No one should," Cassandra mumbled, glancing down at the table. She watched as Lenore picked up a small bundle of sage and lit it on fire before proceeding to wave the smoke around, creating a more private environment.

"You have the talisman?" Lenore asked when she was done.

"Yeah," Cassandra quickly pulled the necklace out of her jacket pocket and handed to the witch. "So, how does this work?

Lenore laid the necklace across the top of the pot, allowing the talisman on the end to hang over the side. "The next time she jumps into a body, she'll be marked with a distinctive symbol on the back of her hand." She carefully reached into the burlap sack and pulled out the python. "This way, you'll always know who she is."

"We still don't know why she's here," Cassandra's eyes followed the movement of the large snake as Lenore draped it around her neck. "When Esther held you captive, did she give you any idea why she's doing all this?"

"Love," Lenore answered. It was the last answer Cassandra expected.

"How hard did they hit you?" Cassandra shook her head as slid down on to a stool she'd been standing beside.

"What besides love inspires such pain and cruelty?" Lenore answered. She gripped the snake near its head and removed it from around her neck so she could hold it out in front of her. She reached for a small knife on the counter with her free hand and sliced down the length of the snake with it. "And Esther," she dropped the knife and scooped out the snake's bloody entrails, squeezing them over the pot so the blood dripped inside. "Her love is very, very strong."

Cassandra watched as Lenore began to chant and cast the soul-branding spell, moving her hands up and down in a flowy motion. When she was done, she slowly lowered her hands onto the rim of the pot and towered over it, falling still. A long, quiet moment passed before she lifted her head and looked around.

"Are you okay?" Cassandra gazed at her with alarm.

"Yes," Lenore answered, though her tone wasn't very convincing to Cassandra.

"You sure?" Cassandra rose to her feet. "You're—"

"Just getting my bearings," Lenore brought her left hand up to her chin.

Cassandra's eyes immediately landed on a brand that had appeared on the top of Lenore's right hand in the shape of a triskelion. She recalled how Lenore had explained the way the soul-branding spell worked—that whoever Esther jumped into would have a mark on their hand. Startled by this discovery and what it meant, Cassandra jumped back from the table with a gasp.

"The mark," Cassandra's voice trembled. "It's you isn't it? Esther."

Lenore/Esther's lips curled into a smirk, confirming Cassandra's suspicions. A moment later, Cassandra nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone began buzzing from inside her pants pocket. She looked down and pulled it out just far enough to see the name on the screen.

"Go ahead," Esther told her as she wiped the snake blood off her hands. "You can answer it."

Cassandra quickly pulled her phone all the way out and tapped the screen to answer the call before bringing the phone up to her ear. "Klaus, I'm at Lenore's shop."

Before she could say anything else or hear anything Klaus had to say, Esther waved her hand and disconnected the call. "That will be enough."

"They're gonna come for me," Cassandra warned.

"My darling," Esther smiled and lowered her arm. "That's been the idea all along. It's so lovely to finally meet you after all this time. I remember seeing you at the ball back in Mystic Falls dancing with Niklaus. It brought me so much joy to see how happy he was, being with you. Tell me, do my sons ever acknowledge the good you bring into their lives? After all, it was you who gave them hope."

Cassandra had never wanted to leave a place so badly. She had no idea if Esther meant 'hope' the sentiment, or if she was referring to her daughter, but she didn't dare say a word to find out. She stuffed her phone back into her pocket and folded her arms across her chest as she continued to stare at her, leery of her motives and whatever she was up to.

"The promise of a child shows us all the possibilities of a future that could be," Esther continued. "Children are meant to save us from the worst parts of who we are. A truth that makes my own circumstances all the more tragic. Wouldn't you say?"

"I don't pity you, Esther," Cassandra murmured.

Esther looked down, visibly disappointed. She picked up Klaus's necklace and held it in her hands. "It's a terrible thing for a mother to fail their child. As well you know."

Cassandra lowered her gaze to the ground. Esther had made a valid point, and it pierced straight through her heart. She took a deep breath to maintain her composure before looking up again.

"But now I offer you freedom. The gift of a new body, Freedom from being a hybrid," Esther revealed. "I have the ability to return to you all that you have lost, Cassandra. To make it so you can have a family of your own. More children of your own. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"I assume I have the misfortune of speaking to my mother," Klaus came waltzing into the back room with a scowl on his face. He didn't stop until he was standing in front of Cassandra. Before he could get closer to Esther, she reached inside a jar and scooped out a handle of its powdery contents, throwing it out in front of her. It created a magical barrier that Klaus was unable to penetrate. "You hide behind your spells like a coward.

"I did _not_ come here to wage war," Esther was adamant about it. She scooped up another handful of the substance and threw it to her right, effectively stopping Elijah who had been trying to sneak up on her.

"Everything you do is an act of war," Elijah stared at her with fierce eyes. "If you touch her so help me—"

"Cassandra is free to go. I've spoken my piece, she knows why I'm here. I have come to heal our family, Elijah."

"Well, that's a grand sentiment coming from you," Klaus growled in a low voice. It made the hair on the back of Cassandra's hair stand up. He turned around to face her. "Go, now."

Cassandra nodded and started to make her way to the door as an overhead hanging lamp exploded above them. As she walked, she continued to listen to the everything Esther was saying.

"My intent was never to harm, only to heal, as I have already healed your brothers Finn and Kol. For you I will undo everything that has been done, thereby giving you a new life. One without the vampire curse I inflicted upon you."

Cassandra froze as she started to reach for the handle on the front door to the store. _Oh my god. She gave Kol a new body? He's alive and he's a witch now? Seriously? I guess I should be relieved he hasn't come looking for me yet. Probably have Esther to thank for that,_ her mind raced. A second exploding light jolted her out of her thoughts. She quickly opened the door and rushed outside to wait for Klaus and Elijah.

"Ask Cassandra to share with you my loving proposition," she heard Esther say as the ground began to rumble underneath her.

"You're a fool if you think we'll accept anything you offer," Klaus sneered at her.

"Oh," Esther smiled as she held out her hand and continued to make the ground shake. "You are wrong, Niklaus." She raised her arms up held them open wide. "There will come a time, my darling," She made a fluster of starlings fly through the windows with a loud explosion of glass and sent them flying all around Klaus and Elijah. "When you will beg for it."

Klaus and Elijah fought to keep their sights on her as the birds flew all around them, but eventually it became impossible to see their mother. When the birds reseeded, she was gone. They met Cassandra outside and headed back to the compound in silence.

Cassandra felt like she was sitting on pins and needles waiting for them to say something. She wasn't sure how much they had heard before they'd made their grand entrances into the store. Frankly, she was still trying to digest everything Esther had said. Her mind was spinning over the idea of being human again in another body.

When they arrived back at the compound, Cassandra went over to where a cluster of smaller tables and chairs were and sat down, bracing herself for the long conversation she knew they were about to have.

"Of course she used those damned birds to make her escape," Klaus paced around, clearly still agitated over the night's events.

"Besides Mother's offer of rebirth, what else did she say?" Elijah asked Cassandra, interrupting Klaus's rant.

"I don't know. She rambled a lot. She mentioned seeing Klaus and me dancing at the ball she threw in Mystic Falls a couple of years ago. She blamed the two of you for what happened to Hope, to me."

Klaus stopped pacing and turned to stare at her. "Well, I trust you're not thinking of taking her offer."

Cassandra remained silent and slowly shifted her eyes to the ground, unable to look at him.

"Cassandra," Klaus walked over to her. "I'm talking to you!"

Cassandra let out a deep breath before standing up and meeting his gaze. "What do you want me to say, Klaus? I lost my daughter. I know you lost her too, but you didn't carry her for nine months. You didn't feel her growing and moving inside of you like I did. Every day is a struggle to keep control of my emotions and not give in to the bloodthirsty beast within me that would love nothing more than to turn it all off and go full ripper on everyone. So, yeah, when your mother offers to wipe the slate clean, excuse me if I'm tempted."

The taken aback look on both Klaus and Elijah's faces almost made her wish she hadn't said anything, but she knew she was only being honest. She turned and started to walk away, leaving them to digest her words, but she only got as far as a few steps before stopping again. She sighed softly before turning around to face them.

"For the record, I'm not going to take it. I never was," she murmured. She quickly turned around and headed for the stairs before either of them could say anything else. She didn't stop until she reached the nursery. She stood in the doorway and stared at the empty crib as she wrapped her mind around everything they'd uncovered that day. She had a feeling deep down that Esther wouldn't take 'No thanks' for an answer to her offer. She shuddered at the thought of what the thousand-year-old witch might to do get her way, especially with two of her sons already by her side. She knew, though, that they had stopped her once before and would do it again.

* * *

"Now, you must have known they would never give in without a fight," Finn stood facing Esther after they had returned to the Lycée.

"Of course. Tonight was not an ultimatum, it was an invitation," Esther explained. She stood in front of a small bird cage she'd placed on top of the work counter and was dropping little bits of food through the top bars for the two black starlings that were inside. "I just want to get them thinking. After all, only those who know they are lost will ask to be found."

Finn still had his doubts her plan would succeed. "They're defiant by nature and they've grown very strong. How do you expect to show them the error of their ways?"

Esther chuckled lightly as she glanced up at him. "I will systematically destroy everything they hold dear. I've already taken the wolves from Niklaus and made them my own. It is time now to focus on the prodigal son, Marcel, and his small nest of vampires across the river. Now that we have cleansed the Quarter of his kind, perhaps it's time to turn our attention to the outskirts of our beautiful home."

"We will take their pride, their joy, their love. We will lay it all to ruin. And when they're at their lowest point, in their deepest despair, they will have no choice but to beg me to release them from their pain. And because I love them," she paused and smirked at her oldest son. "I will."


	27. When Enemies Become Allies

**Hey guys. I know I'm a couple days past the two week mark, and for that I apologize. It's been a bit of a crazy week. Yay for it being Friday. Wow, so I am once again blown away by all of the incredibly wonderful things you all had to say about the chapter. I know you all want more Kol, I promise you'll get more down the line. He and Cassandra will finally see each other face to face in the next chapter. There will be Hope/Klaus and Hope/Cassandra moments, oodles of moments, in future chapters, too. I promise it will be worth the wait. I know it's downright agonizing waiting for new chapters week after week and I am so grateful for your patience with me. You guys are the best and I am so glad to have all of you with me on this amazing adventure. Until next time!**

* * *

 **Chapter 27 - When Enemies Become Allies**

Gia stood completely still with her eyes closed as she used her heightened senses to focus on her surroundings. She waited. And waited. And waited. Until...there! She moved her hand in front of her face at lightning speed. She grinned from ear to ear as she opened her eyes and stared at the dart she was now holding with her thumb, index, and middle fingers, having caught it milliseconds before it impaled her face. The room erupted with cheers and applause.

"Pay up," she held up her hand to the vampire who'd thrown the dart at her. He handed her a folded up hundred-dollar bill which she promptly shoved into her back pocket.

Marcel had created a new army of vampires to lead and they were all hanging out at his huge loft in Algiers, sharing drinks and blowing off a little steam. Among those vampires in attendance was Marcel's right-hand man, Josh. He sat alone on one of the leather couches, glued to his phone. He had joined a dating app a while back and was staring at the new message notification on his profile. He fiddled with his bottom lip as he debated whether or not to open it.

"Any prospects?" Marcel appeared and handed him a glass of bourbon as he sat down across from Josh on the edge of the coffee table.

"Well, since you asked," Josh nodded his head. "Yeah, there's this one guy. I mean, we've only been messaging so far, but I think I like him. Like, really like him."

"So, what's the problem?" Marcel raised his glass to his lips and took a small sip.

"Oh, I don't know. Might have left a few things out of the old profile. For example, what's got two thumbs and drinks blood to survive? Oh right. This guy," Josh pointed at himself with his thumbs. Marcel grinned laughed as he took another drink.

An ear-splitting crash erupted as one of the vampires came flying through the window from outside. He landed on the ground with a thud and remained still, having been knocked out from the impact. Marcel and Josh flew to their feet as the rest of the vampires began making their way over to the broken window. A loud snarl was heard as werewolves wearing moonlight rings began jumping through the window and down from the ceiling. The room quickly filled up as more came walking through the front door, led by Oliver.

"The hell is wrong with you people?" Gia glared at the uninvited guests. She made her way over to Marcel and stood next to him "We didn't do anything."

"This is nothing your kind hasn't done to us," One of the werewolves, named Aiden, spoke out as he made his way to the center of the room where Marcel stood. "Learn your history."

"I don't know who the hell you are, but we had a deal. Vampires stay out of the Quarter, everybody's cool," Marcel explained in a calm voice.

"It's not good enough anymore," Aiden replied.

Marcel raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? Says who? You? Or that witch you all answer to now? Lenore, right? Never thought I'd see the day. Proud werewolves on a witch's leash. I hope those rings you're wearing are worth it."

Aiden smirked and nodded at a wolf standing to the left of him. The wolf grabbed the vampire he was standing beside and let out a growl as he bit into his neck.

"No!" Gia screamed. A second werewolf attached Josh and tried to bite him.

"That's enough," Aiden called out as Josh fought to keep the werewolf from getting a piece of him. The werewolf relented as Josh pushed him away with a growl. Aiden knew he'd made his point loud and clear. "Your privileges here have been revoked. Permanently. So when we come back, you need to be gone. Because next time, I won't call them off. Consider this a warning, Marcel. It's the only one you're gonna get."

Marcel watched Aiden leave with a tense, icy stare. If a war was what they wanted, a war was what they were going to get.

* * *

Cassandra drummed her fingertips against the side of her leg as she waited anxiously outside of a small coffee shop a few blocks away. The streets around her were buzzing with activity as people worked to get ready for the All Hallows Eve parties going on that night. She stared down at her phone in her hand, debating whether to send a message. She needn't have worried. A second later, her lips curled into a smile as the familiar face of her good friend Cami came into view walking up the sidewalk.

"You made it," Cassandra stepped forward to meet her.

"Of course I did," Cami smiled and gave her a quick hug. "It's so good to see you again, Cassandra. I've been worried about you. How are you holding up?"

Cassandra motioned towards the coffee shop door and led the way inside where they took a spot in line. "I'm...coping. Some days are harder than others, some easier. Today is a good day, so far anyway."

"Well, you look really good."

"Thanks. I'm sorry for giving you the cold shoulder for so long."

"You have nothing to apologize for. You were grieving and adjusting to a new lifestyle. I totally get it."

"You don't even know the half of it," Cassandra let out a soft laugh as they approached the counter. They ordered coffees and found a small table next to a window to sit down at. After a few sips of her delicious latte, Cassandra began to fill Cami in on everything that happened. She told Cami about her trip home to Mystic Falls and finding out about Tyler Lockwood being her half-brother.

"Your sister's ex-boyfriend is your brother? Wow, that is insane," Cami's eyes widened.

"Yeah. He couldn't be happier about it because it makes him untouchable now. It's a long story for another day, but basically they'd prefer to see each other dead."

"Makes for one hell of a family get-together," Cami shook her head with a laugh.

"No kidding," Cassandra nodded her head. She took another drink of her latte and went on tell Cami about Esther's return to the land of the living, her wolf army, and her crazy proposition. "I'm not taking it. Not from her. She's the reason my daughter is gone. She's the one who was ordering the witches to sacrifice her."

Cami placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh, wow. That's horrible. She makes Francesca sound like a puppy."

"You have no idea," Cassandra agreed. "Anyway, enough about me. How are you doing?"

"I'm good. I went back to school to get my graduate degree in Psychology. One of the requirements is a number of therapy sessions with an advisor. I was assigned a new one. I haven't made my mind up about him yet. He seems nice enough, I guess."

"Doesn't make it any easier to open up about personal stuff, though."

"You said it."

"You know, you could probably send him running for the hills if you told him about what is really going on here in the Quarter."

"Or he'd decide I was crazy and send me straight to the looney bin."

Both girls burst into soft laughter.

"Feels good to laugh again," Cassandra smiled.

"I can imagine. How's, uh," Cami paused and reached up to tuck her lose hair behind her ear. "How's Klaus doing?"

"About the same as I am, I think. He's pretty focused on sending his mom back to the land of the dead. Oh! Mikael, his father, is back. Davina resurrected him. Speaking of...have you spoken to her lately?"

"No, I haven't. Oh my god," Cami's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Cassandra stared at the table. "The only reason we're all still alive is because Davina has some way to magically control him," She paused and looked back up at Cami. "Now they've disappeared. Could you try talking to her? She trusts you and considers you a friend. If there's anyone she'd open up to, it would be you."

"I'll try," Cami nodded. She pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket and checked the time. "Unfortunately, it's going to have to wait a little while. I have another session with my advisor that I have to get to. Once I'm done with that I'll call her."

"Thank you, Cami," Cassandra murmured as they both rose to their feet.

"I'll let you know as soon as I learn anything," Cami gave her a quick hug. Cassandra nodded and followed her out of the coffee shop. They shared one last smile before going their separate ways.

When Cassandra returned to the compound, she found the crescent wolves congregating in the compound. They were talking in low voices amongst themselves, what about she didn't know. She started to walk towards her when a loud, booming voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Brother!" Elijah hollered as he walked into the compound from the same corridor connected to the street that Cassandra had come through. "Niklaus!"

"Woah. Where's the fire, Elijah?" Cassandra turned around and met up with him beside the stone fountain.

"Where is my brother?" Elijah asked her in a calmer voice.

"I don't know," Cassandra shrugged. "He was still sleeping when I left earlier this morning to grab a coffee with..." She trailed off and let out a soft breath. She hadn't planned on telling him or Klaus that she'd gone to see Cami. Now she had no choice. He would know if she was lying about it. "With Cami."

Elijah blinked in surprise. "You went to see Camille?"

"Yes. She is my friend and I missed her. I thought it was time we did some catching up."

"And what exactly did the two of you talk about?"

"I didn't tell her the big secret if that's what you're wondering. I know it's better that she stay in the dark about it, as much as I hate lying to her face."

He stared at her for a long minute, trying to decide if she was telling the truth. When he was certain she was, he nodded his head once. "Fine. Back to Niklaus. You don't know where he went?"

Cassandra shook her head. "Nope. I'm not his keeper. He must have left shortly after I did. Why? What's going on?"

"This city is under siege by an army of beasts following my deranged mother's every command. Now, considering it was your friend Hayley's people who declared war on _my_ kind, if you know anything about my brother's whereabouts, I suggest you tell me before I am forced to take matters into my own hands."

"I said I don't know, okay? The fact that he didn't tell me he was going anywhere probably means he wants to keep me out of whatever he's up to. Just use your phone and call him like any normal person would do," Cassandra suggested. She started to walk away, then turned back toward him. "Oh, one more thing, Elijah. Those beasts that you're referring to, they may be under Esther's control, but they aren't just Hayley's people. They're my people now, too. So if you hurt them, your deranged mother will be the least of your problems."

She left him standing there pondering her words and made her way back over to Hayley. Hayley flashed her a grateful smile. "Well, that was kind of awesome."

"I meant every word," Cassandra smiled back at her. She shifted her eyes over to where Elijah was and watched as he disappeared down the corridor leading to the street. Once she was certain he was gone, she turned her focus back to Hayley. "Okay, so what are we going to do about this new problem?"

"I'm not sure yet. Let me get in touch with Ollie and find out what exactly is going on," Hayley pulled out her cell phone and began tapping the screen. Cassandra nodded and brought her coffee cup up to her lips to take another sip. She knew they were going to have to act fast if they were going to have any hope of stopping this war before it had the chance to start.

* * *

Finn stood in Lafayette Cemetery with Oliver, Aiden, and two other werewolves later on that afternoon, pressing them on how things had gone that morning when their plan rid the entire city of vampires had been put into play.

"Well, I trust our message was well-received," Finn directed his statement to Oliver and Aiden.

"Loud and clear," Oliver answered. He stood with his arms folded across his chest making his biceps bulge out. "Those vampires should be long gone by tomorrow."

Finn wasn't as easily convinced. "In my experience, we can never be too careful with these creatures so we'll greet them with superior numbers," He turned around to one of the werewolves standing behind him. "Would you bring me the recruits please, Sam? Oliver, Aiden, I have a task for you."

Both Oliver and Aiden watched as Sam led over a group of teenagers. Aiden's eyes widened in surprise when his eyes landed on one of the dark-haired boys in the crowd—his little brother.

"What's going on here?" Aiden asked slowly as he looked from his brother to Finn.

Finn kept his back to Oliver and Aiden as he spoke to the children. "Tonight is _Luna Sanguinis—_ a blood moon. Now, one thousand years ago, your people marked this celestial event with a rite of passage, electing not to shrink from their nature, but to embrace it with pride by slaying a human being and activating their curse. Tonight, as unturned wolves, you will kill with the singular purpose of unleashing that warrior that lives within you."

"They're just a bunch of kids," Aiden protested.

"Aiden," Finn turned around to face him. "We can no longer afford to hide our children from the horrors of war." He gently placed his hand on the shoulders of Aiden's younger brother. "From now on, you're either with us or you're against us." He turned back to the group of children and motioned for them to follow him. "Come with me."

Aiden's lips parted slightly as he watched Finn lead the group away. There was no way he was going to do what Finn wanted. Both he and Oliver knew they had to do something to stop it. To succeed, they were going to need help.

When they got to the compound and explained the situation to Hayley and Cassandra, both girls jumped to their feet, eager and willing to do whatever they could to help.

"I hate to say it," Hayley sighed, "But I think we need Elijah and Marcel's help with this too."

"That's what I was thinking," Cassandra agreed.

"No way are they going to help after the way we threated them this morning," Aiden shook his head.

Cassandra placed a hand on top of Aiden's arm and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Yes, they will. Trust me on this, okay?"

Reluctantly, Aiden slowly nodded his head. Cassandra disappeared upstairs and returned in a flash wearing her jacket. She motioned for Oliver, Aiden, and Hayley to follow her outside.

Twenty minutes later they were standing outside Marcel's massive loft in Algiers. The three Crescent Wolves waited at the door while Cassandra went inside to announce them. As she started to make her way down the entryway stairs she froze. Elijah was pinned against the brick wall by a young woman she figured to be Gia, and Gia had her hand inside his chest. Without thinking, Cassandra whooshed up to them and grabbed Gia. In the blink of an eye she had Gia pressed against the same brick wall with one arm while she gripped her by the throat with the other.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" She growled and flashed her hybrid face at the newbie vampire. Gia stared back at her in wide-eyed terror. Before she could get any words out, Cassandra was forcefully pulled backwards by her arms and spun around to come face to face with Elijah.

"Relax, Cassandra," Elijah spoke in a calm voice. "It was merely a training exercise."

"Wh…what?" Cassandra squeaked as her face returned to normal. Her lips curved into a small circle. "Oh." She slowly turned around and gave Gia an apologetic mile. "Oh my god. I'm so, so sorry about that. I thought you were about to...you know...kill him."

"It's fine," Gia gave her a nod.

"What are you doing here?" Elijah pulled Cassandra's focus back on to him.

"We need to talk," she murmured and walked around him to stand by the stairs. The sound of footsteps could be heard as Aiden slowly walked in. Elijah's jaw tightened at the sight of him. Gia started to move forward, but Elijah held an arm out stopping her. "We're not here for a fight. Just hear him out. Please. "

"Speak," Elijah muttered in a low voice as Aiden came down the stairs and stood next to Cassandra. "I suggest you be succinct."

"Please," Aiden let out a soft breath. "I need your help."

After agreeing to hear him out, Elijah sent Gia to fetch Marcel and Josh to join them. Cassandra went to the front door and motioned for Oliver and Hayley to come in. Once everyone was situated in the loft, all eyes were on Aiden.

He quickly told them about his meeting with Finn and what Finn wanted to do. "The witch wants soldiers. So now, it's either join up or pay the price."

"I've known my brother Finn to be merciless. But I'll admit, this exceeds even my expectations," Elijah murmured.

"They're just kids," Cassandra looked around at the group until her eyes settled on Marcel. "Marcel, you know the Quarter like the back of your hand. If anyone can get them out of here, it's you."

"And take them where?" Marcel asked in an unsure voice.

"There are still wolves deep in the bayou. The ones that didn't take a ring, they can look after them," Oliver suggested.

"The ones who never sold out," Marcel added with raised eyebrows.

"If you wanna look at it like that," Oliver slowly turned his head toward Marcel. "We did what we had to do."

Marcel shifted in his seat. "You wolves have been fighting us for decades. Why trust us now?"

There was a long silence before Aiden spoke up. "One of the recruits is my little brother. There's no way I'm sending him to war."

It was the final pebble to tip the scales in their favor. Licking his lips, Elijah stepped towards Aiden. "Tell us what you need."

"Alright," Aiden began once everyone had gathered around him. "The kids are being held in the City of the Dead until we bring them through the Quarter to St. Anne's Church. Meanwhile, Vincent is holding a meeting with the few humans in the know. The ones who have been reluctant to fall in line with his new leadership."

"He's going to use the children to kill any opposition," Elijah realized.

"Activate their curse, send a message to anyone who's thinking about going against him. It's two birds, one…bloodbath," Aiden sighed.

"Okay," Marcel nodded. "So we'll hit him while the kids are on the move."

"Aiden, make certain you and Oliver escort the children. We'll handle the rest," Elijah decided.

Oliver did not like this idea. "Wait, wait, wait. Esther and her psycho sun are already giving me the stink eye. If these kids go missing on my watch, I'm as good as dead."

Elijah tightened his jaw as he eyed Oliver. "You wanted to help your people and make amends for the past. This is your chance."

-o-

As soon as night had fallen, everyone headed into the Quarter to put the big plan into action. The streets were lined with people celebrating All Hallows Eve, which they used to their advantage. Aiden slowly led the group of teenagers down the crowded street. Oliver and a small handful of werewolves followed behind in the back. The first part of the plan went off without a hitch. Gia pretended to be drunk and walked straight into one of the werewolves, spilling her drink on him. Before he could retaliate, Marcel whooshed behind him and snapped his neck, killing him instantly. He and Gia took off running, knowing full well the wolves would chase after them. Aiden ordered Oliver to continue escorting the kids while he and the other two werewolves went after Gia and Marcel.

With Hayley's help, Oliver was able to lead the kids to Rousseau's where Josh and Cassandra were waiting for them. They all filed into the kitchen and watched as Josh walked over to a seemly innocent looking cupboard placed against a wall and swung it open to reveal a hidden passageway.

"Come on," Cassandra whispered as she beckoned the kids forward.

"It's a passageway from the Prohibition days," Josh explained. "It'll take us pretty much anywhere we want to go."

Once all of the kids were inside, Josh slipped through the opening, followed by Hayley, then Oliver. Cassandra started to step inside when her phone began to buzz inside of her pocket. She scooted back into the kitchen and pulled her phone out to find Cami was calling her. She quickly tapped to answer the call and pressed her phone against her ear.

"Cami, hey. What's going on?" Cassandra spoke quickly.

"Your boyfriend…baby daddy…whatever the hell you call him left me behind at a bar in the Bayou," Cami grumbled.

Cassandra blinked in surprise. 'Wait. Klaus did what?"

"He knows where Davina is hiding out with Mikael. I was trying to convince him not to kill her or his father. I thought I was getting through to him and he just…vanished in that annoying, vampire way."

"Of course he did," Cassandra sighed. She ran a hand through her hair. "All right. Text me the address of the bar and stay put. I'm on my way."

"Great. Thank you, Cass."

They hung up, and ten seconds later Cassandra received a text from Cami with the address to the bar. She vamp-ran into the tunnel to catch up to Hayley and Oliver and let them know what was going on.

"We've got this," Hayley reassured her. "Go and get your friend."

Cassandra nodded and disappeared from their sight. Within minutes she was driving down the street in her towards Jefferson Highway. She was incredibly ticked at Klaus for not only involving Cami, but for abandoning her too.

"He is so dead," Cassandra growled as she tightened her grip around the steering wheel. She weaved in and out of traffic and made it over the Mississippi River in record time. Thirty minutes later she was pulling up to the small backwater bar. She parked the car and quickly climbed out. She found Cami waiting by the entrance as she approached it.

"Thank you so much for coming all the way out here," Cami murmured after giving her a quick hug.

"Of course. So, listen. I want you to take my car and go back to the city," Cassandra held out her keys. "Davina has Mikael. It is way too dangerous for you. I promise I won't let Klaus hurt her. We just want the white oak stake back and to rid the world of Mikael once and for all."

"Something tells me you aren't going to take no for an answer, so fine. Just…keep her safe okay. And call me if you still need me to talk to her. I can at least do that."

"I will. I promise."

Cami told her where to find Davina's family cabin and took the car keys from her. Cassandra watched as she pulled away and headed back towards New Orleans before vamp-speeding down the road in the opposite direction. Everything around her was a blur as she flew at a supernatural speed.

When the outline of Klaus's black SUV came into view relief that she'd found the place washed over her. She continued past it and finally came to a stop a few feet away from Klaus. He was standing with his back to her and he held the white oak stake in his right hand as he stared down at Mikael's twitching body lying on the ground.

"Where is she?" Cassandra called out in a loud voice. When he turned around at the sound of her voice she walked up to him. "If something happened to her Klaus, I swear to god—"

"Davina's fine," Klaus spoke in a calm voice. "She'll wake with a spectacular headache. But given her intentions for me, she should count herself lucky."

Cassandra let out a relieved sigh, then promptly gave him a hard shove as she flashed him an icy stare. "You are the one who should count themselves lucky after what you pulled tonight. You dragged _my_ friend into this, and then you ditched her at a bar. I drove all the way to the bar, gave her my car and sent her back to the city, then I ran all the way here."

"Well, your perseverance is duly noted," Klaus straightened himself out and cracked a tiny smile.

"Oh, shut up," Cassandra growled. "I am so mad at you for going behind my back and using my friend _again_ , I can hardly speak. But I am here. And it is to tell you. Not to bargain with you, and not to shame you, but to tell you. Under no circumstances will you hurt that girl. Understand me?"

"You have my word," Klaus looked her in the eyes as he spoke.

"Good," Cassandra let out another breath before throwing her arms around his neck and slamming her lips against his. She pulled away after a couple of seconds and pressed her cheek against his for a long moment while she waited for her emotions to calm down.

"Feel better?" Klaus asked, chuckling softly.

"Yes, actually," Cassandra stepped back to meet his gaze. "I do." She turned her head and allowed her eyes to land on the ground where Mikael lay. "Is he…?"

"He's still alive, and in complete an utter agony," Klaus murmured. He reached out and took her hand in his. "Your friend Cami gave me a bit of good advice which I decided to take."

"I'll have to remember to thank her when we get home." She reached out with her free hand and lightly stroked the side of his face. "I'm proud of you, Klaus."

He smiled at her. "So, does this mean you aren't cross with me anymore?"

"Well, I haven't quite forgiven you for being a jerk to Cami, but I'm getting there," the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She let out a sigh as she glanced back at the cabin. "We should go see how Davina's doing."

"Very well. Just give me a moment to load Mikael into the back of the car."

"Sure."

Klaus let go of her hand and walked up to Mikael's lifeless body. He effortlessly pulled Mikael up by his arms and swung his limp body over his shoulder before carrying him over to his black SUV. Cassandra quickly opened the back of the car and stepped back to give Klaus room. Klaus shoved Mikael's body into the back of the SUV with a loud thud lowered the back door until it shut with a soft click. He turned to Cassandra and slipped his arm around her waist as they began to walk towards the cabin.

In the back of the SUV, Mikael let out a loud gasp as he opened his eyes. Against all odds, he was able to fight the torture from the Papa Tunde blade. With his own hand, he slowly reached into his own chest and removed the blade from within him. As he gripped the blade in his bloody hand, his head fell back against the car as he let out a sigh of relief. He stared up at the rear window, silently promising to enact his own torture on Klaus as soon as his strength returned.

* * *

After slaughtering his older brother's werewolf followers with Oliver's assistance, Elijah had been about to snap Finn's neck when he was impaled from behind by a wooden stake until it had incapacitated him completely. When he woke, he discovered he'd been moved to a familiar crypt in Lafayette Cemetery and was being suspended by his wrists which were bound by chains connected to the walls on either side of him. He looked around and found Esther sitting on a stool face him with a smug smile on her face.

"What do you want?" Elijah spoke in a low voice.

Esther stood up. "I only want us to be a family again, Elijah." She walked up to him and placed a hand on the side of his face. "But I'm so sorry. In order for that to happen you must be purified."

She let go of his face and left him to ponder what her words meant.


	28. Hunting The Hunter

**Alright, guys. Brace yourselves because this chapter gets intense. Yes, there's more Kol in this one, and Cassandra finally sees him face to..new face. Some of you asked if Kol still has feelings for Cassandra. I'll let his words and actions answer that. I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed getting to put Cassandra in Cami's place when I went through this section and come at it from her point of view. As you'll quickly learn, the chapter kicks off with a scene between Elijah and Esther. Not exactly a warm and fuzzy moment between mother and son, but a necessary one for plot purposes. I thought about adding more Esther/Elijah scenes, but then this chapter would have been up in the 9K range, and I didn't need it to be that long, so I went with what I felt was the most important moment. With that said, thank you guys for all of the incredible things you had to say about the last chapter. I can't believe how close to 300 reviews this story is getting to. I look forward to hearing what you all think about this one. Happy reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 28 - Hunting The Hunter**

A girl with long, wavy blonde hair wearing a long, white dress frantically raced toward a bright red door. She whimpered in fear as a shirtless, blood covered Elijah stalked towards her. When she reached the door, the girl jiggled the handle, but it would not budge. She pounded on the door with her hand as she glanced over her shoulder. Elijah remained emotionless as he quickened his pace and reached the girl who turned out to be Cassandra. She turned around and continued to bang on the door. He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to face him. When he did, he wasn't staring at Cassandra anymore. She had transformed into a woman with wavy brown hair and brown eyes, a woman from his past, the first woman he'd ever loved. She was the first doppelganger. Her name was Tatia.

Elijah grabbed her by the hair and tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck. Ignoring her cries in protest, he revealed his vampire face and bit into her neck.

"No!" Tatia begged.

With a sigh, Elijah opened his eyes and lifted his head. Realizing it had been a horrific dream and that he was still his mother's hostage, he tugged at the chains bound to his wrists as hard as they could, but they would not budge. They had been secured by a spell.

"Have you forgotten where you are, son?" Esther called out, redirecting his attention on to where she stood a few yards in front of him beside a stone tomb with a cup of tea in her hands. She slowly walked towards him. "Safe your strength. My chains don't break so easily." She pointed above his head at a large poppet dangling from the rafters, magically fortifying them so they cannot be broken. "Having sweet dreams?"

Elijah let out a low growl as he lunged towards her as far as the chains binding him would allow. "Get out of my head."

"I'm not in your head, dear," Esther told him in a calm voice. "Go ahead. Get your bearings. We have much to discuss." She turned around and walked out of the mausoleum, leaving a confused and irritated Elijah behind.

She returned a little while later to continue their conversation. "What were you dreaming about ripping apart when you woke earlier?" She asked him. "Was it your new little plaything, Cassandra?" Or, was it someone else?" Elijah snarled and lunged at her again. "Stop fighting, Elijah. I brought you here to listen. And you're not going anywhere until I've said my piece."

"So speak," Elijah muttered as he stared at her with ice cold eyes.

"I want you to rejoin our family, but as a witch. I want you to leave behind the grotesque savage vampirism has made of you. Take the body of a mortal, and we can all be happy again. Start over." She turned around and took a sip from her teacup as she walked away from him.

"You do know you're entirely demented, don't you," Elijah called out after her.

Esther chuckled softly. "Am I? I'm not the one who pulls the wings off every beautiful butterfly that he finds." Esther slowly turned back around to face him. "Like the woman who flits across the edge of your nightmare."

"Let me go. Now!" Elijah growled and revealed his vampire face.

"How quickly you slip back into your more savage self," Esther wasn't bothered by it at all. Elijah relented and allowed his face to return to normal. "The moral son I raised is now but a mask worn to hide ancient demons."

"You know nothing." Elijah snapped.

"See, that's where you're wrong. I know more about the secrets you carry than you do. Shall I list them? I can begin with the first little butterfly you destroyed. The sweet young widow from our village who caught your eye when you were still human." Elijah turned away from her and licked his lips. "Ah, you remember her. Of course. How could you forget the first girl to ever steal your heart? She of mystical blood. The doppelganger, Tatia."

"I did nothing but love that woman until the day you took her life."

"I know that's what you believe, which is precisely why you are here. I need to show you the monster you really are."

Esther walked away from him to retrieve a lit candlestick, then she returned. "When I do, you will beg for salvation, and happily, I shall provide it." She held the candle up in front of his face and chanted the incantation to a spell which sent his mind spiraling back in time a thousand years to when he'd been human. "It was _Samhain_. When we danced and killed the best of our livestock to appease the gods for a new season. All women envied her. All men wanted her. But she only had eyes for one."

In the memory, Elijah was standing off to the side watching the villagers as they danced around a tall bonfire. Among those villagers was Tatia, and she was dancing with Klaus. She found a brief moment to pause and lifted up the mask she wore as she turned toward Elijah. She smiled at him and gave him a little curtsy. He couldn't help but smile back. His smile faded as he watched Klaus spin her back toward him and lift his mask up so he could kiss her. Having seen enough, Elijah walked away. He ended up by the pig pen and knelt down to pet the big black pig inside.

"Do not tell me you came to save Loki the pig from his face," Tatia walked up to him holding her mask in her hands.

Elijah glanced at her stood back up as a smile tugged at his lips. As he spoke he stared back down at the pig. "No, I'm afraid Loki the pig's fate is to be food." He paused and glanced sideways at her. "Just as you are fated to love another."

"And you?" Tatia tilted her head slightly. "Fated to watch from the shadows, a noble martyr? Fate does not dictate my heart, Elijah. I was fated to throw myself on a pyre after my husband died in battle, but I did not. I chose to live. And I chose to give my heart once more to someone strong, protective, fierce, and yet noble, and gentle." She paused and placed her hand on the side of his face. He raised his hand and placed it on top of hers. "I choose you, Elijah." His lips parted slightly in surprise. He stared at her a moment, then leaned in to kiss her.

She leaned back with a laugh. "And you choose to have our first kiss where your mother slaughters the pigs?" She flashed him a grin. "Not very roman—"

He placed his hand behind her head and cut her off with another kiss. After a couple of long seconds, he slowly pulled away. "Perhaps we should set Loki the pig free," he murmured as she slowly opened her eyes. "Seems one's fate can change after all." He grabbed the side of her face and leaned in to kiss her again."

Esther blew out the candle, ending the memory and bringing Elijah back to the present. "But that was just the beginning. A brief moment of happiness. That is how it always begins. A butterfly lands upon your finger, unaware that it will lead to her tragic end."

"Her tragic end came when you drained her body of blood," Elijah scowled. "All for a spell to the smother the wolf within Niklaus, as memory serves."

"Actually, Elijah," Esther laughed. "Your memory doesn't serve you at all. You just don't realize it yet. But by the time we're done here," she stroked his face. "You will."

* * *

Cassandra stood next to Klaus in front of the cabin's front door, watching as the young man inside eased Davina's unconscious body into a chair. She'd been extremely annoyed when she realized she couldn't enter without Davina's invitation, leaving her with the only option of giving orders.

"She needs a hospital," Cassandra murmured. "She could have a concussion or a brain bleed. Or here's a thought. You could bring her over here and let me heal her."

"No. No vampire blood. She wouldn't want that," the young man, Kaleb, shook his head. Cassandra sighed and folded her arms across her chest. She turned her head as Klaus held up the white oak stake in his hand to show he'd taken down Mikael. "Oh, hello, darling. Back to huff and puff and blow the house down?"

Cassandra blinked in surprise at Kaleb's use of the word 'darling'. She'd only known one person to ever call anyone by that term of endearment. She knew Kol had taken a witch body, but she didn't know what he now looked like. She also knew that this kid using the word could have been a complete coincidence. Nevertheless, she decided to pay close attention to everything he said and did. She needed to know for sure if he was Kol.

"You know, it's funny how often a person's sharp tongue can end up cutting their own throat."

"Klaus, he's just a kid. Give him a break," Cassandra told him as she focused her hearing on Davina's pulse and heartbeat.

"She's right. You know, you might wanna try a bit of lavender under your pillow. Does wonders for stuck up pillocks with anger issues," Kaleb retorted.

"Hey, shut it" Cassandra glared at him.

"I promised not to kill Davina. I said nothing of this insolent sod," Klaus kept his eyes on Kaleb.

Cassandra sighed and grabbed Klaus by the arm. "Come on," she tugged him backwards, away from the doorway. "A minute ago you could have killed Mikael with the stake, but you didn't. You're not gonna kill this kid with it, either."

Klaus let out a breath of air as he turned his head to glance back inside the cabin at Kaleb who was still tending to Davina. He turned back to Cassandra after a moment and slowly nodded his head. "Fine," he handed her the white oak stake.

"Thank you," she whispered as she took it from him and gave him a quick peck on the lips in return.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his car keys. "Go get the car. Let's take her to a hospital."

Cassandra nodded and took the keys from him before walking off. He watched her for a moment, then walked back to the cabin doorway. "You've got a way with words," he told Kaleb.

"Well, I've traveled," Kaleb glanced over at him. He stood up and walked over to the door.

Klaus raised his hands and rested them against the door frame. "You seem to have crossed continents in order to weasel your way into Davina's good graces thereby meddling in my family business." His lips curled into a smirk. "Strange, isn't it. Unless of course it's your family business. You know, ever since my dinner with my mother and Finn, I've been wondering when you might make an appearance, Kol."

Kaleb/Kol laughed softly and waved his hand as he gave a small bow. "The jig is up. Hello, brother."

"It's not that I begrudge you hitching a ride back to the land of the living, it's just that you're making all the wrong friends, brother, and I have half a mind to show you how wrong you are."

"Well, I could always reacquaint myself with Cassandra. She's looking delectable, as always," Kol smirked.

"Cassandra," Klaus called out in a loud voice. "I changed my mind. I am going to kill him after all." When he got no response, he turned away from the doorway. "Cassandra?"

He started to make his way back to the SUV. Halfway there, his eyes landed on the open driver's side door with blood smears on the window. He ran up to and checked inside before continuing to the back of the car. The rear door was open and the back was completely empty. Panic flood him as he realized Mikael had somehow found a way to escape and had taken Cassandra with him. He quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and called his brother.

"Elijah, where are you?" He began to leave a message when Elijah didn't pick up and made his way back to the cabin. "Mikael's loose with the stake and Cassandra is a hostage and I'm weaponless and in need of reinforcement. Urgently."

He ended the message and stuffed his phone back into his inside jacket pocket as he stopped in front of the open front door to address his younger brother who was sitting in a chair across from a still unconscious Davina. "Wake her up," He ordered Kol. "Tell her to get Mikael back here now."

"Well, let me think about that," Kol tapped his chin lightly as he glanced at Davina. He turned back to Klaus with a smirk. "No."

Klaus clenched his hands into tight fists as he gave Kol a death glare. "He took Cassandra. He's going to kill her, Kol."

"What?" Kol sat up as his face fell. He let out a displeased hiss. "Fine. Go search for her. I'll work on getting Davina upright so she can regain control of Mikael."

Klaus nodded and vanished into the night. With a heavy sigh, Kol went back over to Davina and tucked a small pillow behind her head. "It'd be really useful if you woke up about now. I kicked a few familial hornets' nests, and now someone I care about is in a bit of a jam."

* * *

After being blindsided by Mikael as she started to climb into Klaus's SUV, followed by the threat of being impaled by the Papa Tunde blade he held in his hand, Cassandra reluctantly handed over the white oak stake and willingly became his hostage. With a hand firmly locked around her upper arm, Mikael dragged Cassandra through the darkened woods deep in the throngs of the bayou.

"Klaus will find you," Cassandra hissed through clenched teeth as he pulled her along.

"Oh, he will," Mikael agreed. "But I will be ready."

"How? I've seen the kind of pain that blade causes. I know how weak it leaves its victims once it's been removed." Cassandra thanked her lucky stars that he hadn't yet used it on her.

"I have fought through more pain than anyone, living or dead," Mikael growled. He stopped and turned toward her, gripping the blade tightly in his other hand. "But once I feed, I shall be restored."

A wave of panic rushed through her. She knew Mikael had taught himself over the centuries to feed and be sustained by vampire blood. She was part vampire. Not wanting to be his meal, she tried to rip her arm out of his grip, but he was quick to yank her back towards him.

"Not on you," he told her in a grizzly voice. "At least, not yet. You, my dear, are leverage. Once I threaten to rip out your heart in front of him, Klaus will hesitate. And in that moment of weakness, I shall end him."

Though she was terrified, Cassandra did her best not let it show. "This is crazy, the two of you going round and round trying to kill each other. You are obsessed with the death of someone whose fatal flaw is he was fathered by another guy."

"Hush!" Mikael bellowed, making her flinch in fear. "You are the enabler of the weak. No wonder he seeks your company." He paused and turned away, staring into the woods ahead. Cassandra stretched her hearing capacity, and then she knew what he knew. "I hear music. And where there's music, there's food."

He dragged her along until they reached a clearing where a large group had congregated for a party around a bonfire. When they came to a stop beside the trees just outside the clearing, Mikael pulled Cassandra forward so she was beside him and slid his arm tightly around her shoulders.

"Well, well, well," he murmured softly as he gazed at the partiers. "Hillbilly Halloween. How perfect."

"No!" Cassandra whimpered as he slid his hand back down to her arm and tugged her along.

-o-

Sometime later, Klaus finally came up on the same spot Cassandra and Mikael had been stopped at when they'd heard the music from the party. Klaus's attention had been immediately drawn to a patch of smeared blood on a skinny sapling. He glided his index finger along the tree's wet edge and smiled at how fresh it still was. It meant they had recently been there. He continued on his way and came upon the clearing where the party was, but there was no longer any music playing. Each and every party goer wore masks as they stood around the crackling bonfire facing him. Some of them even held sharp wooden spears in their hands.

"Did you honestly think to hold me with a blade forged for pain," One of the party goers standing in front of the fire spoke in a loud voice as Klaus walked into the middle of the group. He held a long, sharp blade in his hand and pointed it at Klaus as he spoke. Unamused, Klaus tightened his jaw as he looked from him to his two comrades standing beside him. "Unlike the weak, unlike you, I gain strength from pain."

"Soon you will know the taste of white oak as it pierces your heart," a second party goer in the middle of the circle spoke out.

"Very clever, Mikael," Klaus shook his head as he spoke loudly. "Compelling the locals to say to my face what you dare not." He turned around as he spoke, hoping Mikael was lurking somewhere and could hear every word. "Enjoy the theatrics. They only delay the inevitable."

The first partier who had spoken let out a loud yell as he raised the blade in his hand and charged Klaus. Klaus blocked the blade and knocked him to the ground with an effortless punch. A second partier came at hi, but he quickly wrapped his arm around the partier's neck and snapped it with a loud crack. Using the blade and spear from the first two partiers, Klaus began swinging them at the rest of the partiers one by one as they came at him. After slaughtering all of them he knelt down and began to feed on the bodies, replenishing his strength. As he wiped his mouth after getting his fill, he stood up and turned around to find a surviving partier walking towards him, waving a crowbar wildly in his hand. Klaus punched him hard in the chest and sent him barreling down to the ground with a growl. Before he could finish the partier off, his phone began ringing from his inside jacket pocket. He let out a sigh and pulled it out to answer the call.

"I'm a tad busy. What is it, Hayley?" He grumbled impatiently.

"Something has happened to Elijah," Hayley spoke calmly. "He was supposed to be our decoy earlier tonight and now he's vanished. There's blood everywhere, werewolf and vampire. There's a trail. I need you to help me and Marcel track it."

"Well, as much as I might like to help you find my brother, I have more pressing matters at the moment," he turned and saw the partier crawling towards him and kicked him hard, sending him flying onto his back with a loud thud.

"What's more important than your own brother?" Hayley frowned.

"My life," Klaus answered matter-of-factly. "Davina had my father, Mikael, on a magical leash and it broke. Now Mikael has Tunde's blade, the white oak stake, and Cassandra. I'm gonna get her back." He paused and turned to the party goer who had crawled onto his knees and grabbed him by the throat. "And then I'm gonna end this. Either Mikael or I will be ash by day's end. And if you do find my brother, please, tell him I could do with a hand." He snapped the partier's neck and tossed him to the ground as he ended the call.

-o-

After forcing Cassandra to watch as he fed on and compelled the group of partiers in the woods to pass on his message to Klaus, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along as they continued on their way. Eventually they came upon a run-down, abandoned warehouse. Gripping her arm, Mikael ushered her inside. There were overturned chairs stacked in a pile and other pieces of worn down furniture wrapped in plastic. Dozens of metal chains hung from the ceiling, almost like random decorations.

"You know," Cassandra stole a sideways glance at him as they walked. "I could never completely understand _why_ you hate Klaus so, so much. I mean, I know the whole sordid tale, but a parent is supposed to love their child unconditionally, no matter what they say or do, regardless of whether or not they share the same genes." She let out a groan as he threw her onto the cold, hard floor and stopped a few inches away from her feet, gripping the Papa Tunde blade in his hand.

"I didn't always _hate_ him," Mikael looked down at her. He was a ghastly sight with blood stains running down his chin and neck. "When Niklaus was born, I was overjoyed. I thought 'This one, this one has the eyes of a warrior. He will be worthy.' But my hope was short-lived. And when I found out that he wasn't really my son, my relief was glorious! But that passed with the knowledge that he was begat of a beast."

"His mother's infidelity was not his fault!" Cassandra glared at him.

Mikael raised his voice in frustration. "Everything that followed was because of Niklaus's obsession with the wolves! He ventured out to watch them turn under the full moon, and he took my youngest son, Henrik. He was but a child and he was torn apart."

"An accident," Cassandra replied in a sharp voice.

"AN ACCIDENT?" Mikael bellowed, scrunching his face into a menacing scowl. "HE MURDERED MY WIFE! His own mother, who sought to cleanse him of his beastlike nature. _He_ betrayed _me._ He turned my entire family against _me._ And yet, you defend him!"

Cassandra took a deep breath and slowly rose to her feet to face him. "First of all, he _never_ betrayed you. Your own wife did that when she slept with Klaus's biological father. Yes, he screwed up by taking Henrik out to see the wolves, a mistake he's lived with for the past thousand years, and one he'll continue to live with and regret for the rest of time. Second, he did _not_ turn your family against you. You did that all on your own with your merciless beating on Klaus, all because he was this reminder of what your wife did, a reminder of how you failed as a husband. Oh yeah, I've heard all about the way you treated him, not just from Klaus himself, oh no, Rebekah and Elijah had plenty to add to that. And don't _even_ get me started on your wife and what _she_ did to Klaus." She knew she needed to dial down her rant, but she couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "You want to know why I defend him? I love him. That's why. I've seen a side of him that he rarely shows to others, a side that is honest and caring, and worthy of love. He _is_ a warrior, the best damn warrior this world has ever seen. And you know how I know that?" She took a step closer and lowered her voice. "He beat you, Mikael. And he'll do it again. He's not afraid of you. And neither am I."

She didn't notice the dampness on her cheeks until she'd finished her speech and hastily wiped them away. Mikael appeared more amused than anything else and did nothing to stop the laugh that bubbled inside his chest.

"You should be, my dear," Mikael spoke in a low, sinister voice once his laughter had died down. "Since my wound does not appear to be healing, what I could do with right now is some food."

Cassandra's eyes widened in fear as she took a step backwards. "You-you said you wouldn't."

"I believe I said 'Not yet.' But now I'm in desperate need of sustenance. And you," he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back to him with vampire speed and strength while his eyes turned red and veiny as his fangs appeared. "will make for a fine meal."

Cassandra let out a bloodcurdling scream as he growled and bit into her neck. He drank violently and greedily. She could feel the life quickly draining from her body. By the time he was finished, she was on the brink of consciousness and barely able to stand.

"Well, well," Mikael chuckled softly in her ear as he licked his lips. "Seems we're about to have company."

Her head bobbled from side to side as he turned her around so she was standing with her back to him. He gripped the Papa Tunde blade in his right hand and draped it around her, holding the tip of the curved blade against her chest while he clutched the white oak stake in his right hand and held on to her other arm to keep her standing up. She could barely make out the sound of approaching footsteps and tried to open her eyes, but they refused to respond.

"You're gonna pay for hurting her," She heard Klaus growl in a low voice as he pointed a makeshift stake at Mikael. In that next moment, Mikael let her slowly fall to the ground in a heap.

"Oh, how sweet. The cur whines for its bitch," Mikael snickered as he held up blade and stake in his outstretched arms. "I'll make sure to rip out her heart right in front of your eyes just before you burn."

Klaus flashed him an icy cold stare before inhaling sharply and leaping through the air straight for him. He successfully knocked Mikael down, but Mikael was able to vamp-speed back onto his feet. As their fighting ensued, Cassandra slowly opened her eyes and watched as Klaus struggled to keep Mikael from pressing the tip of the white oak stake into his chest. Klaus eventually gained the upper hand again and threw a couple of punches at Mikael before letting out a guttural yell as he pushed Mikael clean through a brick wall.

Desperate to help in any way she could, Cassandra slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position, then rose to her feet. She watched as Klaus knocked Mikael to the ground and grabbed the hand that held the white oak stake as he straddled him, turning it so the tip was pointed down at Mikael.

"I'm not as weak as you remember, am I?" Klaus taunted him. He snapped Mikael's wrist and gained possession of the stake. He started to raise his arm, intending to drive the stake through Mikael's heart, when Mikael gripped the Tunde blade and threw it straight at Cassandra. Under normal circumstances, Cassandra would have been able to catch it on her own no problem, but in that moment she was weak and still regaining her bearings. Klaus knew this and whooshed over, catching the blade with his own hand when the blade was within inches of piercing her chest.

Before Klaus could turn around, Mikael appeared beside him and grabbed his right arm, twisting it so he could regain possession of the white oak stake. Gripping Klaus by the shoulder, he rammed the stake into Klaus's chest.

"No!" Cassandra screamed as Klaus yelled out in pain and began to stumble backwards. Cassandra started to run towards him, but she didn't get farther than a few steps because Mikael turned around and back handed her hard enough to send her spinning backwards onto the floor. She lifted her head and looked back to see Klaus falling to the ground. He lay on his side, staring back at her helplessly as his skin began to turn grey and veiny. Tears stung her eyes as she watched him slowly slipping away from her.

After an agonizing couple of minutes, Cassandra realized something was amiss at the same time Mikael did. _He's not burning. Why isn't he burning?_ Her mind raced. Then she heard them. Voices. Two of them. They had to be right outside the warehouse. Davina's voice and…one she didn't recognize, though she knew she'd heard it before. Kaleb, or rather Kol, was assisting Davina, and whatever they were doing was preventing the stake from finishing off Klaus and his entire bloodline for good.

"Why aren't you burning?" Mikael growled. He stepped closer to Klaus. "If you were dead, you would burn. Burn!"

He lifted his head, finally hearing the same chanting that Cassandra had heard. Cassandra didn't care and remained silent, waiting until he went outside to scurry over to Klaus's body. She kept her ears focused on what Mikael was saying to Davina and Kol while she rolled him onto his back and wrapped her hands around the stake. She gave it a supernaturally hard pull, effortlessly removing it from him. She let out a deep breath and pressed her free hand to the side of his face as his skin color returned to normal.

"What do you think you are doing?" Mikael bellowed, causing Cassandra to jump and spin around on her knees to face him.

"Stay the hell away from us!" She growled, flashing him her amber-gold hybrid eyes as she gripped the white oak stake tightly in her hand. "Or I swear to God, I'll kill you myself."

"You have a warrior's heart," Mikael slowly walked towards her and Klaus. "Perhaps I'll keep it as a souvenir."

He started to reach for the stake when Marcel appeared out of nowhere and started throwing punch after punch at Mikael, forcing him to back up away from Cassandra and Klaus as he did so. Eventually Mikael was able to regain the upper hand and knocked Marcel off his feet and onto the ground.

"NOW, ENOUGH!" Mikael yelled as he grabbed Klaus's makeshift stake and pointed it at Marcel. "This night has been a long parade of fools. I'll enjoy killing every last one of you."

Cassandra slowly rose to her feet as Klaus let out a gasp and opened his eyes. Staring at Mikael, her eyes widened in surprise as Hayley appeared behind him and threw a chain around his neck and spun him around to face her.

"Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it," Hayley glared at him. She swung the chain she was holding, which had a block of cement hanging from the end of it, as hard as she could at him and sent him down to the ground. Using that moment, she and Marcel rushed over to where Cassandra and Klaus were as Klaus pulled himself up onto his feet. They were joined by Davina, who stood beside Marcel. Klaus reached for Cassandra's hand and gave it a small squeeze before letting go and stepping forward so he was at the front of the group.

"It's over, Mikael," Klaus remained straight faced as Mikael stood back up and shook off Hayley's attack. "Are you going to beg for your miserable life?"

"You think having people makes you strong?" Makel let out an unimpressed laugh. "It proves how weak you are. Come find me when you don't have fools, women, and children fighting your battles." He threw the stake onto the ground and vamp-sped out of the warehouse.

After a long couple of silent moments, Klaus turned around and walked back to Cassandra while Marcel and Hayley ran outside to make sure Mikael was really gone. When Klaus was within a foot of where she stood, Cassandra let go of the white oak stake, letting it drop down onto the ground, and stepped toward him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"For a moment there I thought I'd lost you forever," she murmured as she buried her face against his shoulder.

Klaus wrapped his arms around her and pressed the side of her head. "You pulled the stake out in the nick of time. A moment longer and I would have been done for."

Cassandra lifted her head and leaned back to meet his gaze. "You know, we owe your brother Kol...yes I know who Kaleb really is, I heard the two of you as I was walking to the car...a really big thank you. Davina too. They did a spell to weaken the power of the stake long enough to allow me the chance to remove it."

"Yes, well, I'll thank him the next time our paths cross," Klaus chuckled softly. He raised a hand and brushed her hair out of the way so he could examine her neck wound. "Right now, I'm more interested in getting your neck wound to heal. You lost a lot of blood. Your healing is slower because of it."

"I'll be fine," Cassandra murmured. She gently pressed a hand against Klaus's bloody stab wound on his chest. "Yours isn't healing either."

Klaus placed his hand on top of hers. "Well, I was stabbed with white oak. It will take me a little longer to bounce back from it." Klaus shifted his gaze back to her neck. "He will pay for hurting you, love. For that alone, I will kill him." He paused and looked up as he realized something. "You know, in a thousand years, I think it's the first time I've seen him run."

"He was still weak," Cassandra murmured softly.

"And he knew he was outmatched," Hayley walked towards them. Marcel was right beside her. Klaus and Cassandra turned around to face them.

"We checked the perimeter," Marcel motioned with his thumb. "And he's definitely gone."

"I appreciate your assistance," Klaus nodded at Marcel.

"Oh, hey, you die, I die," Marcel raised his arms slightly and bobbled his head as he laughed softly. "Just call me selfish."

"Yeah, you die, a lot of people die," Hayley nodded. "Like Cassandra's sister for starters."

"Oh my god," Cassandra clapped a hand over her mouth as her eyes widened. "I could have lost her too. I hadn't thought about that."

"Yeah. But now we have another problem," A grim expression appeared on Hayley's face. "It's Oliver. And Elijah. Something's happened to them. They're missing."


	29. A Rescue Mission

**You guys still breathing after that last chapter? Heh, I know it was pretty intense. I am so glad you all enjoyed it. I am super excited about this chapter because it introduces a new canon character to the story. If you're familar with the canon plot, then you'll know who it is. No Kol in this chapter, unfortunately, but he's in the next one, and he and Cassandra will finally talk face to face, so hold on to that tidbit. Thank you again for taking the time to read my little tale and leave your wonderful comments. I love how excited you all get for each update. It never fails to make me smile. I hope you enjoy this latest installment!**

* * *

 **Chapter 29 - A Rescue Mission**

Cassandra stood on the balcony overlooking Royal Street, watching tourists pass by under the mid-morning sun. When she and Klaus returned to the compound after he'd rescued her from Mikael and they'd learned Elijah and Oliver were M.I.A from Hayley, she took a shower to freshen up and sought out Klaus so they could put their heads together and come up with a plan to find his brother. By the time she'd finished getting dressed and gone to look for him, he'd taken matters into his own hands and was interrogating one of the French Quarter witches. Rather than stick around to watch, Cassandra went out onto the balcony to get some fresh air.

It was hard for her to keep her mind from spinning in circles, wondering what could have happened to Elijah. The last thing she wanted to do was jump to conclusions, but all her mind could come up with were crazy scenarios. _Where are you, Elijah?_ She sighed and tapped the top of the balcony railing absentmindedly.

A piercing, tortured scream pulled her out of her frenzied mind. Frowning, Cassandra turned around and went inside, following the awful sound into the parlor room where she found Klaus leaning over the sink in a small powder room connected to the far side of the parlor washing his blood covered hands. His long sleeve shirt and face were also covered in blood.

"Huh, I see your interrogation went well," Cassandra stared at him

"It turns out these witches are delicate creatures. No matter. As suspected, my mother has Elijah captive," Klaus glanced over at her as he leaned back and grabbed a nearby towel to dry of his hands with.

"I had a feeling she was behind it," Cassandra nodded. "What are we waiting for? Let's go find them."

"Esther is too powerful. She won't easily be found. I need to draw her out," Klaus explained. Once he was done drying his hands, he walked past her and headed back to their room. Cassandra followed and sat down on the bed while he pulled a clean shirt out of the dresser and peeled his bloody shirt off before putting it on. She waited until he'd cleaned up his face to prod him some more.

"So how are we going to draw her out?" Cassandra asked.

" _We_ aren't," Klaus stood in front of the mirror as he put on his jacket. "I'm doing this alone."

"Klaus," Cassandra folded her arms. "let me come with you."

Klaus let out a soft breath of air as he turned around and walked over to where she was sitting on the edge of the bed and sat down beside her. "I know you want to help, sweetheart, but you can't. It's too dangerous. My mother is wretched. She will target you in order to thwart me. And I can't very well save Elijah if I'm busy saving you, can I?"

"No, I guess not," Cassandra mumbled. "Just...be careful, okay? I can't lose you. Either of you."

"You won't. I'm gonna get him back," Klaus flashed her a tiny, reassuring smile. He reached out and stroked her cheek with his thumb, then kissed her lightly on the lips before getting up and leaving the room.

Using her supernatural hearing, Cassandra remained sitting on the bed listening to the sound of Klaus's footsteps as he headed downstairs to the courtyard and then outside to the street. She waited until she knew for certain that he was gone before standing up and heading out on her own mission. Oliver still needed rescuing. She just needed to find him first.

After some skillful lurking around near The Cauldron, she'd overheard a small group of witches talking amongst themselves about the werewolf being put to death later that night. She was certain they were talking about Oliver. She knew she couldn't get to him on her own, which was why she found herself walking up the front steps of Marcel's massive loft in Algiers. She was going to need his help. As she reached the door, she heard a familiar female voice speaking and realized Marcel wasn't alone.

"…went all over the city. There's no sign of Elijah," she heard Gia say.

"Yeah, the humans I know said the same thing," Marcel murmured. "Maybe Klaus is having better luck."

Using that moment to make her entrance, Cassandra pulled the door open and headed down the entry way steps into the main room where Marcel and Gia stood. "No, he's not." She paused as they turned around to face her. "Sorry to just drop in like this. I need your help. You two up for a rescue mission?"

"Are we going after Elijah?" Gia asked quickly.

Cassandra shook her head. "As much as I want to, no. We have to let Klaus handle that. I'm talking about Oliver. He and Elijah were fighting the werewolves together. I heard that Oliver's been captured and he's about to be executed." She continued to walk towards them until she was standing beside them. "If we can save Oliver, we might be able to find out where Elijah is."

"Okay" Marcel nodded. "So, what do you want from us?"

"Just a little distraction. Esther's son, Finn, he's the one that's controlling the werewolves. If you can keep him out of the way, I can go get Oliver myself." Cassandra explained.

"You can't take on all those wolves by yourself," Marcel folded his arms. "You'll get killed and then I'll get killed for letting it happen."

"I know. I was never planning to go in alone," Cassandra told him. "The werewolves may be answering to the witches, but they still have an alpha. I just have to find him, and for that I'll need Hayley's help."

Marcel reluctantly agreed to go along with it and told her he'd work on a plan to keep Finn distracted while she headed out to the Bayou to search for Jackson. Cassandra thanked them and quickly headed back outside to where she'd parked Elijah's car. _One of these days I need to get my own car so I stop borrowing Elijah's,_ she shook her head slightly as she climbed into the driver's seat.

Thirty-five minutes later she was walking beside Hayley as they made their way deep into the Bayou. Hayley had managed to find an old shirt belonging to Jackson at the old Crescent Wolf camp that had his scent so they could use it to track him. Neither could say how long they'd been following the trail as the sun beat down on them through the trees.

They both saw the silver through the trees from an old, beat up trailer at the same time. As they came to a stop once the outline of the trailer came into view, they saw it was hitched to an old GMC truck. There were piles of old camping gear in a heap on the ground beside it. Cassandra focused her hearing and could hear the distinct beating of a human…or werewolf…heart coming from inside the trailer. She was about to say something to Haley when she heard the sound of a bow string being released coming from behind them. She spun around with hybrid speed and raised her hand, catching an arrow as it flew right at Hayley's head. She raised her other hand to catch a second arrow that came straight at her.

Through the trees, she could see the outline of a man a few yards back, standing in the shadows of the trees with a bow in his hand. Glaring at him, she tossed the arrows onto the ground. "Is that your best shot? You're gonna have to do a lot better than that if you want to kill a hybrid."

The man came marching toward her, a tight-lipped look of fierce determination on his face. As he unsheathed a small dagger, Cassandra moved to stand in front of Hayley and readied for a fight.

"Stop," A familiar voice called out from behind them, causing Cassandra and Hayley to spin around. Relief flooded through both of them at the sight of Jackson walking towards them.

"Jackson?" Hayley called out to him.

"Hayley. Cassandra. I see you met my friend Ansel," Jackson eyed the man standing behind them. Both Cassandra and Hayley turned back to look at him.

"You know them?" Ansel asked Jackson in a deep voice.

"Yeah, actually. I do," Jackson nodded as he came to a stop a couple of feet away from them. "Hayley was supposed to be my wife, and Cassandra was the one who helped free my people from the crescent curse."

Ansel nodded and lowered the dagger in his hand. Jackson led Cassandra and Hayley over to a small, stone fire pit and pulled up a couple of chairs for them to sit on. He added a couple of logs to the fire and grabbed a third chair, positioning it so he was facing both Cassandra and Hayley, while sat off to the side on a fallen tree, sharpening his blade.

"After Francesca Guerrera took over the wolves, she offered me a moonlight ring. As long as I called her alpha. I declined. So a couple of her brothers dragged me out here and left me for dead. By the time I healed up, word had spread about what happened to you, Cassandra. And to your baby." Cassandra pressed her lips together and looked down at the ground. She failed to notice Ansel's eyes land on her after hearing what Jackson had said, realizing exactly who she was. "So I knew it was over. And I just drifted. And that's when I met Ansel."

As Jackson said his name, Cassandra couldn't help shifting her eyes to look at the older man. He was staring back at her with a softer, more sympathetic look in his eyes. There was something incredibly familiar about him that she couldn't put her finger on. She shook the feeling away and turned her attention back to what Jackson was saying.

"He's been teaching me the old ways," Jackson continued. "The traditions. What it means to be a wolf. Actually, you could learn a lot from him too, Cassandra, considering you're still pretty new at it."

"You mean by living out in the ass end of nowhere?" Hayley scoffed.

"Hayley!" Cassandra hissed softly.

"What? It's true," Hayley shrugged innocently. "Look, Jack. We're here because Ollie needs our help. He needs an alpha."

"Yeah, I heard about that," Jackson murmured. "Thing is, Ollie betrayed me. He plotted with the Guerreras. He spilled his own people's blood!"

"He was trying to make up for that," Cassandra jumped in.

"It doesn't matter!" Jackson snapped. "Witches have him. He's dead. Not that I care," He leaned back and raised the large, glass bottle he'd been holding up to his lips to take a drink.

Cassandra stared at Jackson in disappointment. She had been so certain that he would help them rescue Oliver. She glanced at Hayley and saw a scowl appear on her face. She sensed Hayley was about to chew him out and knew she had to do something before things escalated.

"You know what?" Cassandra jumped up to her feet. "Fine. Hayley and I will save Oliver ourselves." She turned to Hayley. "Come on. Let's go. Clearly we've waisted our time here."

Hayley nodded and rose to her feet. As she and Cassandra started to walk away, Ansel stood up, grabbed his bow, and walked towards them. Cassandra tensed, but Ansel was quick to raise a calm hand. "I mean you no harm. I may have no love of vampires, but I will not allow a wolf to be killed by witches. Lead the way."

Cassandra exchanged a surprised look with Hayley, then nodded her head slowly. As they began to walk, Hayley glanced over her shoulder at Jackson.

"Well, at least someone is interested," she glared at him before turning away.

They began to make their way back through the woods towards the main road where Cassandra left Elijah's car. After a few long, silent minutes of walking Cassandra pulled her cell phone out and dialed a number before holding it up to her ear.

"Tell me you and Hayley got your alpha," Marcel answered the phone after two rings.

"We found him. Unfortunately, he's out of commission, but we got the next best thing," Cassandra answered as she looked over her shoulder at Ansel who was walking a step behind her. "You figure out a plan to keep Finn occupied?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think I might have an idea," Marcel replied. He ended the call before Cassandra could ask him what it was.

With a heavy sigh, Cassandra tucked her phone back into her pocket and refocused her attention on the direction they were headed in.

-o-

By the time Cassandra, Hayley, and Ansel reached the entrance to Lafayette Cemetery, night had fallen. An eerie fog covered the sacred ground. They silently made their way through the maze of tombs to the Lycée located in the center of the cemetery. They marched past the open iron gate illuminated by two brightly lit torch bowls and went inside. They found Oliver suspended by his wrists from chains hooked to the ceiling, looking battered, bruised, and bloody.

"Ollie," Hayley murmured as she rushed over to him. Cassandra followed quickly behind him. "Wake up!"

"What the hell are you doin?" He opened his eyes and slowly raised his head to look up at them. He was quick to spot Ansel keeping watch behind them. "Who the hell is that?"

"We're here to save you," Cassandra spoke up. "Please tell me you know where Elijah is."

Oliver remained silent and shook his head. Cassandra let out a soft, displeased breath.

"They know we're here," Ansel announced in a low, deep voice.

Cassandra turned around and used her hybrid ears to listen. She could hear the frantic footsteps of the oncoming pack of wolves heading straight for them. "Sorry. No time to be gentle," Cassandra gazed at Oliver apologetically before reaching up to break the chains he was hanging from. He fell to the floor with a loud thud. Hayley helped him on to his feet.

"Just leave me here. Go!" Oliver ordered as he leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees while he regained his bearings.

"To hell with that," Hayley growled. "If they want a fight, I'll give them a fight."

She started to step forward when Cassandra reached out and grabbed her arm. "No," Cassandra pulled her back. "You won't. They have rings, remember? You don't. Come on. We need to grab Oliver and move. Now."

Hayley sighed and relented. Before they left, Cassandra looked up at Ansel. She was taken aback when he gave her a small nod of approval.

"Take your friend out the back," he ordered. "Move as fast as you can. I'll hold them off here."

Cassandra and Hayley nodded, then turned and led Oliver away. They ran as quickly and quietly as they could. Cassandra took the lead and guided them around a series of tombs, remaining fully alert to their surroundings as she did so. After moving a few yards, she motioned for them to hug the wall of the nearest crypt and held up a hand as they came to a stop. She'd heard the sound of multiple footsteps approaching.

"Come on out!" The familiar voice belonging to Aiden yelled out. "We know you're here."

Cassandra groaned inwardly, realizing Aiden and his pack were waiting for them around the corner from where they were hiding. Sighing, she turned back to Hayley and Oliver. They met her eyes and gave her a nod, knowing what it was they had to do. Cassandra nodded back and turned around, leading the way to meet Aiden and the two dozen werewolves clustered beside him. Oliver continued to use the wall for support as he rounded the corner, while Hayley walked beside him.

"Why don't you just let us go, and we can call it a day," Cassandra spoke calmly as she made eye contact with Aiden.

Aiden took a deep breath, almost as if to consider her request, then licked his lips and tightened his jaw as he gave the smallest shake of his head. "No, I don't think so."

"So we do this the hard way then," Cassandra retorted. The last thing she wanted to do was fight, but she would do whatever it took to get Hayley and Oliver out of the cemetery and back to the Bayou. Aiden's gaze intensified as he stared back at Cassandra, accepting her challenge.

"You idiots," Oliver staggered forward, a look of shock and disappointment on his face. He came to a stop beside Cassandra. "You're lining up to fight a hybrid? For what? So you can kill me?" He shuffled forward a few more steps until he was in front of Cassandra. "All because some witch gave an order? I know I ain't innocent, but I _never_ lost sight of what I was fightin' for. We were gonna be a pack. But now," he waived his arms as he took a few more steps towards Aiden. "We are turnin' on each other. Killing our own people. We do that, we're nothin'."

Aiden shifted his eyes from Oliver to Cassandra and Hayley, then slowly started to step back. The werewolves that were with him followed suit and created a pathway for Oliver, Cassandra, and Hayley to leave. Hayley rushed forward and wrapped an arm around Oliver's waist to support him while Cassandra draped his arm over shoulders, and together the three of them walked past the group.

As they left through the south side of the cemetery, Klaus entered through the main gate on the North side. He was there to rescue Elijah after gaining his whereabouts from Esther. She'd been hiding him in a mausoleum with a spell that she'd since lifted so Klaus could retrieve him. The air around him was silent until the sounds of a struggle broke through and caught his attention. He stopped mid-step and turned his head toward the sounds, listening for a beat, then he vamp-sped towards them.

When he came to a stop a few moments later in front of the Lycée he couldn't believe his eyes. An older man was striking down werewolves with a sword, his clothes were ripped and bloody from the fighting. As the man waived his sword and struck down another foe, a werewolf who'd fallen behind him rose to his feet and prepared to attack. Before the werewolf could make a move, Klaus whooshed behind him and snapped his neck as the man with the sword spun around preparing to continue fighting.

Klaus's eyes widened and lips parted in complete shock as he came face to face with man holding the sword—Ansel. "You."

A thousand-year-old memory of the last time he'd come face to face with this man ran through his mind. It was just after Esther had placed the curse on him to suppress his werewolf side. He'd raced into the woods to find his real father, but he was too late. Mikael had killed him and left his body impaled on a pike.

Ansel stared back at him with the same shock and surprise in his own eyes. "Niklaus?" He murmured softly.

"No. No," Klaus's breathing sped up. "You're not real."

"Niklaus," Ansel tried again, stepping forward this time as he lowered the sword and dropped it onto the ground.

"No!" Klaus stepped back and held up a hand as he stared at the ground. "You're a phantom conjured by Esther. That is all you are!" He quickly shuffled past Ansel as he raised his voice. "Mother! Stop this charade! I know that _thing_ is not real."

"Look at me, Niklaus," Ansel turned around and spoke in a firm yet non-threatening voice as he took a few small steps forward. Klaus slowly faced him and met his eyes. "I am flesh and blood," Ansel raised his arms slightly. "Your flesh and blood."

"You've been dead a thousand years!" Klaus growled as he walked back towards Ansel.

"And through that time, I lingered on the Other Side, watching you let the world fall apart," Ansel spoke in a soft voice. "Until I woke, four moons past in a land of wolves like myself."

"No. No!" Klaus pointed a finger at him. He couldn't believe any of it. "No," he quickly turned away and began to pace as his emotions ran wild inside of him. "You're just in my head." He turned back to face Ansel. "You're an illusion. Meant by my mother to sway me to accept her bargain."

"I do not speak for Esther," Ansel narrowed his eyes. "I know nothing of her bargains." He stepped forward until there was no more than a foot between him and Klaus. "But you are my son."

Ansel started to reach out a hand to touch Klaus's face when Klaus grabbed his wrist, stopping him. Ansel's long, grey sleeve had been sliced open, revealing a tattoo of three crescent moons surrounded by a circle. Klaus's eyes immediately landed on the tattoo. He recognized it and remembered it from a thousand years ago. Realizing he wasn't being tricked by his mother, Klaus's demeanor instantly changed. He was calm, in control.

"Even if what you say is real," He looked up Ansel as he spoke in a low voice and stepped forward, bringing his face within an inch of Ansel's fingertips. "You are nothing to me. For all I care, you can crawl back to hell." He whooshed away to get Elijah, leaving a stunned Ansel behind him.

-o-

Cassandra and Hayley carefully eased Oliver down to the ground near the fire Jackson had started earlier in the day. Jackson sat across from them in a chair stoking the fire with a long stick, and he was less than thrilled to see his backstabbing friend.

"Well, you got him. Great," Jackson grumbled, unimpressed. He shifted his eyes from Oliver to Hayley and Cassandra. "Where's Ansel?"

"He was busy buying us enough time to get away. He should be right behind us," Cassandra glanced at him and answered in a soft voice. She shifted her eyes back to Oliver and found him staring at Jackson.

"Jack. I have to tell you," Oliver murmured.

"I already know, Ollie. You sold me out to Francesca," Jackson sighed as he narrowed his eyes at Oliver.

"Look. I know that I can't make up for that. But you need to hear this. You're the one," Oliver slowly stood up. Jackson followed and rose to his feet too, gripping the stick he'd been stoking the fire with tightly in his hand. "You're the alpha." Oliver started to walk towards Jackson. "Our people are not meant to be slaves. You can free them." When Oliver reached Jackson he started to cough. Blood began to run down his mouth and chin.

"Ollie. Ollie," Jackson reached a hand out toward Oliver who clutched his chest as he continued to cough and bleed until he fell to his knees. Jackson looked back at Hayley and Cassandra for answers. "What is wrong with him?"

"It's the witches," Hayley spoke up first. "They said he only had until midnight."

Jackson's eyes widened in horror. He turned back to Oliver and dropped to his knees. As Oliver continued to cough and struggled for breath, Jackson propped him up in his arms. "Ollie? Stay with me!"

"Jack," Oliver managed to say his name.

It was his last word. He made a gagging noise as blood began to trickle down his face from the corners of his eyes and pooled against his cheeks. Cassandra covered her mouth as he let out his final breath and grew limp in Jackson's arms. Jackson slowly lowered Oliver's body onto the ground and scrunched his face as his eyes teared up. Cassandra looked over at Hayley who was fighting back her own tears and reached for her hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze and felt Hayley squeeze back in response.

Cassandra wanted to say something to comfort her friends, but she knew there were no words that would ease their pain and grief. She released Hayley's hand after a long moment and turned away to collect herself. The last thing she wanted to do was start crying in front of them. She began to take a controlled, deep breath when her phone rang from inside her jacket pocket. She pulled it out and saw Klaus's name flashing back at her. _Oh crap!_ Her stomach dropped. _If he finds out_ _I left the compound, he's going to want to know why and I'll have to tell him because he'll know I'm lying, and that will lead to a lecture about doing something so dangerous. Gah!_ She swallowed the newly formed lump in her throat as she answered the call and brought her phone up to her ear.

"Hey," she answered calmly as she took a few steps away from Hayley and Jackson. "How's the—"

"I've got Elijah," Klaus told her quickly. "I'm on my way back to the compound with him."

"Oh thank god," Cassandra let out a relieved breath. "I'll see you soon, then."

They both hung up without another word. Cassandra pocketed her phone and turned back around to face Hayley and Jackson. "That was Klaus," she murmured softly. "He found Elijah. I have to go. I...I'm so, so sorry about Ollie."

"You did everything you could, which is more than I can say for myself," Jackson murmured in a sad voice. "Thank you for stepping up when I wouldn't."

"Of course," Cassandra nodded. She walked over to him and gave him a quick hug, then turned and did the same to Hayley. "Tell Ansel I appreciated his help tonight," she called over her shoulder as she turned to leave.

"We will," Jackson replied.

She took off, disappearing in front of their eyes. She sprinted to the car as fast as she could and broke many speed laws once she was behind the wheel. All she could think about was getting back to the compound before Klaus. When she pulled up to the compound, she hissed softly at the sight of Klaus lifting Elijah's limp body out of his black SUV. She climbed out of the car and whooshed up to the roof, then down to one of the many balconies and hurried inside. She came down the stairs into the courtyard as Klaus entered with Elijah's body. She ran up the stairs ahead of him and opened the door to Elijah's bedroom. She stood by the foot of the bed, watching as Klaus gently laid Elijah's body down.

"What did she do to him?" Cassandra whispered, staring at Elijah's ripped and bloodstained clothes. She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, swallowing slowly as she reached for his hand and held it between her own. "And why isn't he awake?"

"It's some kind of spell. She's determined to get him on her side, to take her deal," Klaus told her.

"As if he would ever do that," Cassandra shook her head. She let out a shaky sigh as she gazed at Elijah. She hated seeing him so lifeless.

"I have a question," Klaus's voice remained calm and light. "Where were you tonight?"

Cassandra kept her eyes fixed on Elijah as she answered as innocently as she could. "What do you mean?" When he didn't answer right away, it took a great deal of restraint to remain still and not look over her shoulder at him. A moment later, she swallowed nervously, sensing he was standing directly behind her.

"You know very well what I mean, love," he spoke in a low voice. "Now, let's try that again, shall we? Where were you?"

"I was here," she answered in a quiet voice. _Why am I lying? It's not like he literally told me not to leave the compound. He wanted me to stay away from Esther, which I did._

"Oh really?" Klaus whispered in her ear as he placed a hand on her shoulder, jolting her out of her thoughts. "Then who did I see pulling up in Elijah's car moments after I arrived? Hmmm?"

"Okay, okay!" She let go of Elijah's hands, jumped to her feet, and spun around to face Klaus. "Fine, I'll tell you. I went to rescue Oliver. But before you get all ridiculously bent out of shape over it, I didn't do it alone. I had help, and we were successful…to a point. We weren't able to save him from the spell that I wager Finn put on him. He died in Jackson's arms."

Klaus folded his arms. "And who is this 'we'?"

"Hayley."

"I figured as much."

"And Jackson's new friend Ansel."

Klaus stared at her in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

"Jackson refused to help me and Hayley with our rescue mission, so Ansel volunteered. Why? Do you know him?" Cassandra eyed him curiously.

"You could say that," Klaus nodded slowly. "He is my father. My real father. Esther brought him back before the Other Side was destroyed in the hopes that I'd take her deal and get a second chance with him."

Cassandra's mouth parted slightly as she stared at him. "Oh my god. He's your…oh wow." Now she knew why he seemed familiar. Klaus looked a lot like him, though she wasn't going to tell him that. She slowly sat back down on the bed and looked up at him as she processed this new information. "Do…do you think he's helping her? Helping Esther?"

"No. He made that much abundantly clear."

"Oh. Good."

"That does not mean you are free to spill our secrets to him the next time you see him," Klaus met her eyes.

"I won't tell him anything, I promise. I've learned my lesson when it comes to that," Cassandra sighed and turned her head to gaze at Elijah's body. "So what now?"

"Now," Klaus followed her gaze over to where his older brother lay. "I'm going to wake up my brother."


	30. Setting A Witchy Trap

**Hey guys. I am so, so sorry about the extra long wait between chapters. Things got a little hectic for a while, but I'm back and I promise not to go so long between updates again. I'm really excited about this chapter because we finally get some real interaction between Cassandra and Kol. I know you guys are anxious for the reunion with Hope. It's coming in a couple more chapters, so hang in there. I promise it'll be worth the wait. With that, I leave you to your reading. It's a nice long one, so enjoy! And thank you for being loyal readers and reviewers. I love you all!**

* * *

 **Chapter 30 - Setting a Witchy Trap**

"I know you are locked in battle. However deep in your mind our mother has set the stage, hear my voice," Klaus stood by the bed where Elijah lay, leaning over him as he spoke in a soft voice. Elijah's breathing was erratic and shaky, his body tense and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. As he continued to speak, Klaus lowered his voice to a whisper. "Our mother thinks she will win because she has left you alone. But you are not alone. Let me in." He placed his right hand on top of Elijah's head and his left hand on Elijah's chest, hoping to gain entry into Elijah's mind. The contact made Elijah inhale sharply as his body went rigid and began to shake. "Let me help end whatever torment she has forced upon you."

Klaus pinched his eyes chest, wincing and gasping he saw flashes of the dreams Elijah was experiencing. His nose began to bleed, but he fought through it, pressing harder to get inside Elijah's head. Whatever spell Esther had cast on Elijah countered and sent him flying backwards on his feet straight into Cassandra who had been reaching out towards him. After helping Klaus clean the blood off Elijah and dress him in a fresh white t-shirt and black pants, she went to change her own clothes which had blood stains of their own from her trip to rescue Oliver.

"Woah!" He gasped as he gripped her arms for support.

She let her own startled gasp and placed her hands on top of his arms. "What are you doing?" She whispered.

Klaus let go of her and took a deep breath as he wiped the blood from his nose. He took a few more short breaths to calm himself down. "I'm trying to enter Elijah's thoughts to wake him." He turned back around toward his brother. "Esther has locked me out."

Cassandra nodded as her eyes looked over Elijah. She noticed the beginnings of some peculiar red lines on his neck above the collar of his t-shirt and stepped closer to the bed to get a better look. She reached out a hand and gently pulled down the shirt.

"Is this rash a side effect of whatever it is your mother did to him?" She murmured, glancing back at Klaus. She stepped back to give him room to examine Elijah's neck.

"I haven't seen this since I was a child," Klaus stared at the marks. "Mikael would return home from battle more blindly temperamental than usual and our mother would use the petals of a rare merlock orchid to put him to sleep. She would mend his mind with a spell and then wake him with the roots of the same plant." He turned around to face Cassandra. "If she has access to it now, then maybe it also grows in the bayou. You stay here with the wolves and mind the fort."

"I'd rather rip your mother's heart out of her chest," she scoffed, turning to watch as he walked past her."

Klaus stopped in mid-step and turned back around. "Stay clear of her." Cassandra turned away as she rolled her eyes. "I mean it, Cassandra," Klaus walked back to her and took her by the hands. "She already got to you once. I don't want to see you end up a victim of her madness, and neither would Elijah.

"Okay," she whispered and slowly met his eyes. "I won't go after her. I promise."

He nodded and leaned in, lightly kissing her cheek, then let go of her hands and left the room. She slowly turned around and gazed at Elijah as she listened to the sound of Klaus's footsteps fading away.

"I've spent enough time around your family to learn a thing or two about a thing or two," she whispered. "I'll keep my promise to your brother. I won't go after her. I'll go after everything that she loves."

She hurried outside to Elijah's car and called Hayley once she was sitting in the driver's seat. She was hoping Hayley and Jackson would want to help her. Hayley was immediately all in, but Jackson was a different story. He was too upset over Oliver's death and had no interest in getting involved. Hayley compromised and went with the next best thing—Aiden.

"Where's your alpha?" Marcel asked Cassandra, Hayley and Aiden who had gathered in his loft in Algiers later that morning.

"Unavailable," Hayley gave a simple answer.

Marcel held an open book in his lap as he leaned back in his cushy chair and gazed up at the trio. "So, you brought junior varsity? You know," he focused on Cassandra. "I'm getting a little tired of you using my place as a den for wayward wolves."

"Well, it's just that we're gonna, uh, take down Finn Mikaelson today," Cassandra walked over to the leather couch positioned across from Marcel and stood facing him. Aiden and Hayley followed and stood beside her. "Considering how he treated your vampires, I assumed that you would want in on the bloodbath."

This got Marcel's attention. He sat up and closed the book he'd been reading. "I'm listening," he tilted his head slightly.

"Well," Aiden cleared his throat as he, Hayley and Cassandra all took a seat on the couch. "It's not gonna be easy. He's surrounded by a pack of juiced-up wolves. He doesn't have a weakness."

"He does, actually. And I have her on speed dial" Marcel smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Cassandra, Hayley, and Aiden stared at him in confusion. "He's got a thing for Cami."

"What?" Cassandra's eyes widened. She began shaking her head over and over. "Nuh-uh. Absolutely not. No way. I will not involve her in this."

"Aw, come on Cassandra," a smile tugged at the corner of Marcel's lips as he leaned back in his chair. "You know as well as I do how our friend Cami has this thing about people telling her what she can and can't do." He dialed Cami's number and held his phone up to his ear. "I trust you, of all people, understand."

Cassandra gave him a weak half-smile and slowly nodded her head up and down. "Fine."

Marcel smiled back at her and greeted Cami on the other end of the phone call before explaining the situation. As expected, she was willing and eager to help in any way she could.

"So, Cami's on her way to meet Finn right now for another therapy session," Marcel explained once he'd ended his phone call with her. "She'll find a way to arrange some kind of second meeting for later today, and when that happens, that's when we'll take him down."

"So what now?" Aiden asked.

"Now," Cassandra sighed. "We wait."

* * *

The sun beat down through the treetops as Klaus wandered around the Bayou in search of the orchids that would wake Elijah. As he walked along a dirt trail, he was unaware that he was being watched by a man standing nearby in the shadows with a knife in his hand. The sound of loud breathing alerted Klaus that he wasn't alone. He slowed to a stop turned his head in the direction the breathing was coming from. A moment later he vamp-sped over to where the mystery person was lurking and grabbed him by the neck, pinning him against a nearby tree.

"Stop following me," Klaus growled in a low voice as he flashed Ansel a cold stare. "I have no intention of taking Esther's bargain and no desire to be remade a mortal being. Now, kindly piss off. I'm in a hurry to help my real family." He released Ansel and walked off.

"You seek the merlock orchid," Ansel turned and called out to Klaus, stopping him in his tracks.

Klaus turned around to face him. "How did you know that?"

"I saw you carry Elijah home last night," Ansel answered. He slowly walked toward Klaus. "Who do you think used to find the orchid for your mother to put Mikael to sleep. Without my help, you could search forever."

"My mother brought you back from the dead. My sense of strategy tells me it wasn't to play a father-son game of hide-and-seek," Klaus muttered. Ignoring Ansel's offer, he turned back around and continued on his way.

"You can storm off in a fit of stubbornness if you like, "Ansel called out after him in a light voice, stopping him yet again. "But I suggest you do so toward the west." He gestured to his right with a finger.

Klaus tightened his jaw and let out a sigh. Without acknowledging Ansel, he began to head west. He could hear Ansel following behind him, and even though it irritated him, he said nothing, instead continuing on in silence. Ansel refrained from talking for a little while until he could no longer bite his tongue.

"A thousand years estranged, and you choose to walk in silence," he commented in a deep voice. "Surely you have questions for me."

Klaus let out another sigh and came to a stop. "Just one. Is there a way to cure Elijah without having to listen to the pointless ramblings of an old man?"

"I'm afraid," Ansel shook his head as he came to a stop beside Klaus. "the price of my expertise is conversation." He patted Klaus on the back lightly before walking on ahead of him.

Klaus scoffed softly, staring at him. "You know, I used to tell myself that my real father must've had no idea I existed." He paused momentarily as Ansel stopped and turned around to face him with raised eyebrows. "Otherwise he'd never leave me to suffer under Mikael."

"Esther forbade me from seeing you, so I waited knowing that one day you would trigger your curse and need your real father. When that happened, Mikael found me first. I fought him for you."

"Yes, well your grand declaration is just a few years too late."

"You joke, but I know you've always felt a void in your life." Ansel looked him in the eyes. Klaus scoffed and shook his head. Ansel pressed on. "I've watched you from beyond for centuries. You've traveled all corners of the world, seen monuments erected, feasted on the blood of history's most extraordinary men, but you have _never_ found true peace. The only moments of joy in your life, however fleeting, have been simple pleasures," he whispered, flashing Klaus a small smile. "As you climbed the Himalayas. As you tended to your horses. Quiet days, teaching that boy Shakespeare."

"Stop," Klaus whispered, overwhelmed by Ansel's trip down memory lane.

"I watched you paint," Ansel continued. "I watched you care for and fall in love with Cassandra. I watched you feel your unborn daughter's kick."

"I said stop!" Klaus hissed loudly as he grabbed Ansel by the shoulder with his left hand while pointing his right index finger at him. "A millennium of observing me. Were your eyes closed as I slaughtered whole villages, fed my way through thousands of innocents? Because let's face it," he let go of Ansel and waved his hands around. "I have a tendency to play with my food." He stepped forward so he was nose to nose with his father. "Have I made you proud, father?"

Ansel stared at him, deeply affected by Klaus's harsh words. Unwilling to wait for a response, Klaus shoved him in the shoulder has he stomped past him. Eventually Ansel resumed walking and caught up Klaus.

After a long while, they reached the base of a small, grassy knoll with a massive tree sitting on top with long, thick branches housing the Merlock orchids Klaus needed to heal Elijah. Surrounding the large tree were dozens upon dozens of purple-flowered herbs. Klaus scowled at the sight of them.

"Vervain. It's everywhere," he grumbled as Ansel, who stood a few feet in front of him, turned around to face him. "My relentless mother has set a trap."

Eager and willing to help out his son, Ansel smiled. "I'll retrieve the Merlock for you."

"At what cost?" Klaus asked as Ansel started to turn toward the tree.

Ansel looked back at Klaus and forcefully threw the blade he'd been holding in his hand on to ground before marching up to him. "Why don't you use your vampire abilities to end your doubts? Search my mind." He growled as he leaned in. "You'll see I'm not aligned with your mother."

"I have absolutely no interest in the inner workings of your brain," Klaus whispered, staring back at him.

"I'm surprised at your cowardice."

"Oh?"

"While you stand here in fear of me, your brother suffers further."

Knowing he was making a valid point, Klaus relented and reconsidered his father's offer. "Gather the orchids."

* * *

"Cami said Vincent wants to meet at Preservation Hall," Aiden repeated what they knew as he laid out a map of the French Quarter on the coffee table in Marcel's loft later that same day. He sat on one side of the couch while Josh sat beside him, Cassandra and Hayley sat on the floor on the opposite side of the coffee table, and Marcel stood. "But he won't be unprotected. There'll be wolves positioned here and here," he pointed at two spots on the map.

"Can we keep this alley open?" Marcel leaned forward pointed to a different spot on the map. Aiden looked up at him and nodded.

"Great. Cassandra and I will wait there and rip Vincent's head off," Hayley stated. Cassandra gave a nod of approval, but Marcel was quick to quash that idea.

"Nah, he'll body jump," Marcel wrinkled his nose.

"His head stays on," Cami walked into the room carrying a big box. She placed it on top of the map on the coffee table and removed the lid. "He'll have a hard time answering questions without it."

Josh leaned forward to get a better look at the contents inside the box. "Sweet. It's a big box of dusty, old junk. We're saved."

"They're dark objects my uncle left for me," Cami smiled at Josh while Marcel picked up one of the dark objects and examined it. "I've been cataloging them according to Kieran's notes. As far as I can tell, these can be used against witches specifically."

Everyone watched as Marcel pulled a pair of iron shackles attached to a long chain out of the box.

"Kinky," Hayley smirked. Josh and Cassandra grinned in amusement.

"I remember these," Marcel smiled. "A hundred years ago, the Human Faction waged a war against the voodoo queens. They had a traitor spell these manacles. Slap them on a witch, they can't do magic as long as they're on."

"Alright," Josh nodded as Marcel laid the shackles on the table. "Well, we're not gonna get the handcuffs of doom on him while he's surrounded by a werewolf entourage."

"Just lure them away," Aiden suggested. "I can do that."

Cassandra took a deep breath and looked up at Cami. "Cami, if we do this, you're bait. Are you absolutely sure you're okay with that?"

The room fell silent. All eyes were on Cami as she took a moment to process Cassandra's words. She met Cassandra's eyes, then Marcel's before taking a deep breath. " Make it look convincing. The guy's really smart."

"We will," Cassandra murmured softly.

They quickly hashed out the rest of the plan, agreeing to use St. Anne's Church as the final spot where they'd take Vincent/Finn down. All they had to do know was get into their places and spring the trap.

-o-

A lively jazz band played loudly inside the Preservation Hall. From her spot in the corner, Cassandra was able to see and hear Cami and Finn while remaining hidden. Cami looked gorgeous in her black dress and had curled the ends of her blonde hair so the ends flipped back elegantly. Cassandra hated the envious pings she felt, regardless of the fact that it was all a sham. She would have loved to get all dressed up and come to the concert hall with Klaus on a date. There hadn't been much romance between the two of them lately with everything that had been going on. She missed him. No, she missed _being with_ him. It was something she vowed to remedy as soon as they'd dealt with Finn and Esther.

"I see you're still developing your taste for beer," Cami's amused voice pulled Cassandra out of her thoughts. She reached into her back pocket for her phone and concealed it in the pocket of the black hoodie she wore, waiting for the moment she and Cami had planned out. She tugged her hood closer to her face as she continued to listen to Cami and Finn's conversation. "My mom said beer wasn't ladylike, so I learned to love it as an act of rebellion. What about you? Snobby mom? Distant dad? Spill."

 _That's it, Cami. Get him talking about mommy dearest,_ Cassandra smirked. She pulled up Cami's number on her phone and held her thumb over it.

"Well, my mother and I are quite close," Finn answered. "She made so many sacrifices for us, now anything she asks seems negligible in comparison."

 _Says you,_ Cassandra rolled her eyes as she pressed her thumb onto her screen, dialing Cami's number. She smiled at the sound of Cami's phone ringing a moment later inside her purse.

"Oh. Hold on. I'm so sorry," Cami looked around for a place to set her drink down so she could get out her phone and found none. Turning back to Finn, she held her cup out to him. "Can you hold this?" He took it from her and watched as she opened her small satchel and pulled out her phone. She glanced at the screen before looking up at him. "I have to take this. A friend is covering my shift. I'll be right back. I'm so sorry."

"Nice one," Cassandra chuckled into the phone once Cami had walked around Finn and brought her phone up to her ear.

"You're enjoying this aren't you," Cami murmured back once she was in place against the wall in the back of the room, not far from where Cassandra was lurking.

"Oh yeah. Absolutely. Wow, he's watching you all protective-like. Okay, ready for phase two?"

You bet. Let's do this."

As a concert-goer stepped in front of Cami and momentarily blocked her from Finn's view, Cassandra whooshed over to her, grabbed her by the arm, and whooshed outside to the back alley. The next part of the plan was crucial, and they knew they had about thirty seconds to get into place for it. Cami quickly lay on the ground so that Cassandra could crouch over her. Cassandra allowed her hybrid face to come out and nodded at Cami to start screaming. She let out a low, feral growl as she bit into Cami's neck. Cami's screams filled the air, attracting Finn.

"Hey!" He yelled out.

Cassandra lifted her head and turned it toward him. Knowing her face was completely obscured by darkness, she flashed her amber hybrid eyes at him to let him know who he was dealing with and scurried away as he came rushing toward her and Cami. It had to look like Cami had been attacked by a werewolf, so Cassandra further played this up by hurdling up the side of the brick wall onto the roof. She gave Finn a couple of seconds to look over Cami, the leaned over the edge of the roof and whistled to get his attention. His head snapped up to look at her. She slowly rose to her feet and flashed him her amber eyes again before turning and whooshing away. When Finn turned back to Cami, he found she'd completely vanished.

* * *

Klaus and Ansel sat across from each other as a small camp fire crackled and sizzled between them. By the time Ansel had finished collecting enough orchids to make the cure Elijah, night had fallen. Using his long blade, Ansel carefully cut the roots out of each orchid while Klaus watched with mild curiosity.

"I've always seen a blade to have a very different use," Klaus murmured quietly.

"Mikael taught you to kill, Klaus," Ansel looked up at him and spoke in a deep voice. "But you were born to create. Power lies in embracing your true nature."

"You think I should accept my mother's offer? Sacrifice my vampirism. Then what? Become a florist?" Klaus asked him.

Ansel smiled and chuckled softly. "You wouldn't be sacrificing anything. As a wolf, you could be king to an entire species. Cassandra could be by your side as your queen. You would feel true peace." He paused to allow his words to sink in. Klaus averted his eyes, focusing on the fire, so Ansel looked back down at the orchids in his hand. "You would be a better father."

The expression on Klaus's face changed instantly. His eyes were cold and hard as he slowly looked up at Ansel. "I am no longer a father," he whispered. He stood up and began to walk away from the fire.

"In our animal form, we feel everything more acutely," Ansel watched him. As he spoke, Klaus slowed to a stop. "When you were a boy, after each full moon I would wake up closer to your village, having been drawn to you in the night. Since I've been back, each month when I turn I wake further from New Orleans. I know the call of my own blood, Klaus." Klaus slowly turned around to face him, his face devoid of emotion. "I know your child is still alive."

When Klaus remained silent and unresponsive, Ansel went back to preparing the orchid roots. Once he had made them into a paste to be applied to Elijah's skin, he wrapped the mixture in a cloth he slammed his blade into the ground and rose to his feet. He walked over to where Klaus stood and handed him the cloth bundle.

"This will help Elijah," he murmured as Klaus took the bundle and slipped it into his jacket pocket. He turned around and took a step towards the fire when Klaus called out to him.

"Ansel," Klaus spoke softly. Ansel turned back around to face him. "I'd be lying if I said your offer wasn't appealing. I've never known a parent to be a benevolent force." He stepped toward Ansel. "I think I would've liked to have been your son. But a different path was chosen for me. And I have, for the past one thousand years, been son of Mikael. Paranoid, vengeful, and powerful enough to protect my daughter."

Ansel clasped the back of Klaus's neck. "I want to help you defend her."

"I believe you," Klaus whispered as he placed his hand on top of Ansel's arm. "But love is what Esther twists. She will take the best of your intentions and she will use them to get to my little girl." He pulled Ansel's hand away from his head and held it in between his hands. "You waited too long before you came to rescue me." He released Ansel's hand and walked past him to where Ansel had left his blade. "I won't make the same mistake with Hope." He reached down for the blade's handle and pulled it out of the ground.

Ansel spun around to face him, horrorstruck. He knew exactly what Klaus was about to do. "No." Klaus slowly walked back toward him. With tears in his eyes, Ansel shook his head back and forth. "No, Klaus. I know you. You are not capable of this."

"That's the first lie you've told me," Klaus murmured. Klaus let out a yell as he raised the blade and swung it at Ansel, slicing him diagonally across the chest from his left shoulder. Klaus watched, horrified at himself for what he'd just done as Ansel staggered backwards. He let go of the blade, letting it fall to the ground. Ansel slowly looked up at Klaus and started to fall forward. Klaus stepped up to him and wrapped his arms around him as if to hug him, catching him. Holding him, Klaus slowly fell to his knees and carefully laid Ansel onto the ground. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he gasped for breath. His jaw tightened as his breathing returned to normal and he shoved his emotions as far down as he could. He shifted his focus to his new task, waking Elijah.

* * *

After Cami's second disappearing act, courtesy of Cassandra momentarily distracting Finn so Josh could swoop in and vamp-speed Cami away, they all gathered at St. Anne's for the second half of the plan. While Aiden was on the phone with an angry Finn, Cami sat on the stage in front of the alter table with her legs tucked underneath her and resting on the steps while she held a folded cloth against the bite on her neck. Cassandra listened to Aiden and Finn's conversation while she looked around for something to put blood in. Settling on the only thing she could find, a gold chalice, she clutched it in her hand and took a seat next to Cami. Josh stood near them at the foot of the stairs.

After his phone call with Finn ended, Aiden lowered his arm to his side as he turned around to face Cassandra and Cami and began walking up the aisle toward them. "Well, he bought it. His locater spell will bring him here without bodyguards."

"Good," Cassandra nodded in approval. She pushed her right jacket sleeve back and brought her right wrist up to her mouth, biting into it with her fangs.

"I always thought having a woman's mouth on my neck would be more erotic," Cami laughed weakly while she watched Cassandra hold her wrist over the chalice so her blood could dribble into it.

"You'll heel fast," Cassandra chuckled, keeping her eyes on the chalice. When she was satisfied with the amount of blood in the cup she glanced up at Aiden. "Let's get all these lights off." Aiden nodded and walked off to handle the task. Josh waited a beat before following after him. Turning to Cami, Cassandra handed her the cup. "Here you go."

Cami took it from her and slowly brought it up to her lips. After downing the blood, she set the chalice down beside her and turned back to Cassandra. "Okay. Tell me the plan one more time."

"Aiden's gonna get Vincent...er, Finn to the alter and then I'm gonna jump him," she met Cami's eyes. "He's powerful, though, so we only have a few seconds to get the shackles on him."

"Where's Marcel?" Cami wanted to know.

"He's looking for Davina," Cassandra answered in a quiet voice. "He heard she was back in town."

"Overprotective dad stuff," Cami concluded.

"If you wanna call ripping Kol Mikaelson into a thousand little pieces protective dad stuff, then yeah, that's it," Cassandra nodded. Cami chuckled lightly at the remark. Cassandra stared at her hands for a long moment before meeting Cami's eyes again. "I think Kol is up to something. He's in a witch body now, and he's aligned himself with Davina. I just don't know what."

"Have you told Klaus about your concerns?" Cami asked.

Cassandra sighed and looked away. "No. Because then I'd have to tell him about my last encounter with Kol when I went home to Mystic Falls for my sister's high school graduation, and I'd rather he not know about that. Kol is already a sore subject between us and this would only make things worse. Elijah knows, though. I could tell him about it...once Klaus wakes him."

Cami sat up straighter. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I told Kol about my pregnancy and how Klaus had walked away from me after finding out. He was livid and vowed to make him pay."

"That doesn't sound like anything that would anger Klaus."

"No, but Kol stealing my vervain necklace compelling me to admit I felt the connection between us would."

"Ah, yeah, I'd definitely say that would."

"Anyway," Cassandra rose to her feet held out a hand to help Cami up. "I won't lie, I'm glad Marcel's going after him with a second pair of shackles."

"Afraid Kol would try to cast a love spell on you?" Cami grinned.

"Oh god. Don't joke about something like that!" Cassandra shook her head as she let out a laugh. Cami laughed with her as they headed to the back of the stage to get into their places for the rest of the plan to take Finn down. Aiden and Josh made quick work of diminishing all of the lights and candles in the church, sending it into darkness.

Cassandra listened carefully as Aiden went outside to meet Finn in the alley behind the church. All went according to plan, until Finn mentioned that he knew Aiden's brother was among the recruits she and Hayley had helped rescue. _Crap!_ Her mind raced. _Well, we all knew getting the jump on Finn was going to be a long shot. He is a Mikaelson after all._ She started to shake her head when the doors to the church burst open and Aiden came flying down the center aisle. From where she hid, she could see the outline of his body sprawled out on the floor, unconscious. She blinked and saw a second figure had appeared and was crouching down beside Aiden. _Oh, Josh. What are you doing?_ She hissed silently.

Her heart began to pound as the sound of approaching footsteps down the center aisle grew more pronounced. Josh's head turned toward the approaching figure as his eyes widened in terror knowing it was Finn. Finn slowly raised his arms and made all of the lights and candles in the church flicker to life in dramatic fashion. As Josh slowly began to stand up, Finn snapped his neck with a flick of his wrist and sent his body crumpling back to the ground.

"Camille!" Finn yelled out as he continued down the aisle to the stage. "Camille!"

It was the cue Cassandra had been waiting for. She vamp-sped toward Finn and grabbed him by the shoulder, spinning him around and knocking him onto the ground at the same time. She landed on the ground beside him with a loud grunt and quickly scrambled back onto her feet.

"First, I'm going to kick your ass, and then I'm gonna take back the pack," she glared at him.

"Take them back?" He chuckled as he slowly stood up. "Last I checked the pack was blindly following _me_."

"Wanna talk about following? How do your mother's boots taste?" She narrowed her eyes at him and raised her leg, kicking him hard in the face and sending him back onto the ground.

He let out a soft laugh as he turned back toward her sporting a bloody lip. "What have you done with Cami?"

Cassandra gave a soft, sarcastic laugh and shrugged, so Finn raised his hand and sent her flying backwards down the aisle. She let out a loud gasp and started to crawl backwards as he stood up.

"Hybrids die by losing their head or their heart. And given the choice, I'm gonna take the organ that got you into this mess in the first place." He raised his hand and began chanting loudly in a strange language.

A magical force pulled Cassandra to her feet. She grabbed her chest and started gasping for breath. She began to spit up blood as the sound of her ribcage cracking echoed in the church hall. She looked down at her white blouse and saw a pool of blood had appeared. She gasped and coughed, waiting for the end to come, when an arrow came flying out of nowhere and hit Finn square in the back between his shoulder blades. He let out a loud yell as he leaned back from the pain the arrow had inflicted. His spell immediately ended, allowing Cassandra to catch lean against the side of the pews while she caught her breath. Finn turned around and looked up in time to see Jackson and Hayley effortlessly leaping down from the upper balcony. Jackson held Ansel's bow in his hand and raised it up, pointing another arrow at Finn. He released it and shot Finn in the leg. Finn yelled and grabbed his leg as he stumbled backwards onto the stairs where he collapsed in a heap. He wrapped his hands around the point of the arrow that was sticking out of his chest, but before he could do anything, Cami appeared and slapped the magical shackles onto his wrists. He stared at her in complete shock, not expecting her betrayal. He was even more put-off when he raised his hands to do magic and discovered he no longer could.

"You would have done the same thing to me, Finn," Cami stared down at him with hard eyes. He let out a sigh as he lowered his hands in defeat.

Jackson rushed over to Cassandra and dropped the bow onto the ground as he knelt down to check on her. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry I took so long to get with the program."

"Your timing was kind of awesome, actually," Cassandra smiled at him. He and Hayley both offered her a hand, which she took, and helped her back onto her feet. She moved around him and knelt down beside Aiden, placing two fingers on his neck. To her relief, his pulse was strong and steady. Her eyes shifted over to Josh who woke with a gasp. He rubbed his neck and slowly climbed to his feet.

"Oh, look who showed up. Better late than never," he nodded at Jackson. He glanced at Finn sitting on the stairs with shackles on his wrists and smiled. "Oh good. The plan worked."

"Mmm hmm," Cassandra nodded. "Help me get him loaded into your car?"

"You got it," Josh motioned for her to lead the way. They walked up the steps where Finn sat and grabbed him by his arms, yanking him by his feet. Cassandra pulled both arrows out of him, making no attempt to be gentle about it, and together she and Josh dragged him back down the center aisle and outside to where Josh had parked his car. As Josh was unlocking the car, they were joined by Aiden who was gently rubbing the back of his head. He and Josh shared a small smile as Josh walked around him to the back of the car and opened the trunk. With Aiden's help, they shoved Finn inside and slammed the trunk shut. Cassandra left them to guard the car and went back inside the church. She found Jackson and Hayley lighting candles at the altar.

"We put Finn in the back of Josh's car," she murmured as she walked towards them.

"Is Aiden alright?" Jackson asked without turning around.

"He's got a bad bump on his head, but give him some ice and bourbon, he'll be fine," she answered lightly. He looked up at her as she came to a stop beside him and chuckled softly. "How'd you find us?"

"I tracked you. It's a wolf thing. Call it animal instinct," he smiled back at her. "You'll learn how to do it."

He started to leave with Hayley when she called out, stopping them. "Thank you, Jackson. For saving me."

He turned back and gave her a nod and a smile. "You're welcome."

Cassandra watched as he and Hayley left the church and silently followed behind them. She found Josh waiting alone by his car and quickly climbed into the front passenger seat. The short drive to the compound was a silent one, the only sounds filling the car were those belonging to Josh's stereo. As Josh eased the car to a stop alongside the front gate, Cassandra 's eyes landed on Marcel who was leading a shackled Kol toward the same entrance.

"Gimme a minute before you grab Finn," Cassandra murmured to Josh as they got out of the car. "I need to have a word with his brother."

Josh nodded and waited by the car while she walked over to Marcel and Kol. Kol was, of course, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hello, darling," he purred in a sultry, accented voice.

"Hello, Kol," Cassandra replied in a soft voice. "I would say it's nice to see you again, but I'm not sure that statement is entirely accurate."

"That's alright. I completely understand, circumstances and all. So, what do you think of my new body? Feel like taken' it out for a spin?" He raised his eyebrows and gazed at her with a wicked sparkle in his eyes.

"Eh," Cassandra shrugged. "Actually, I think I like the original model if I'm being honest. Too bad it's just a big pile of ashes now. Although," Cassandra stepped closer to him and brought her face within inches of his as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Tell me what you and Davina are up to and perhaps I'll reconsider your offer."

"Wow. Now that is tempting. But, as ravishing as you look, I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline."

"Huh. That's a surprise. Suit yourself." she shrugged. She knew it was a long shot, but she had to try to see what she could get out of him. She turned her head and nodded at Josh, giving him the 'okay' to get Finn out of the trunk. Josh pulled him out and walked him over to Cassandra. She gripped his upper arms tightly and guided him through the gate behind Marcel and Kol.

They passed through the courtyard and headed through the archway leading to the massive ballroom. Following Marcel's lead, Cassandra led Finn to one of the two stairs and looped the chains that were connected to the shackles to the railing so that he was dangling down the side of it by his wrists, unable to flee. Marcel did the same with Kol on the other staircase and rejoined Cassandra. As they began to make their way back into the courtyard, he turned to her.

"So what's the deal with you and Kol?" He asked curiously.

"No deal, really. He's an annoying pain in the ass," Cassandra shook her head.

"Naw, it's definitely more than that."

"It was one night. One stupid night a couple of days after I watched as Klaus killed Tyler's mother in cold blood. I was heartbroken, hiding out in an unfamiliar little town because I couldn't bear to be in the same town as him. It shouldn't have happened, but I got tired of fighting Kol's advances and just…let it happen."

"Oh, I get it," Marcel chuckled as they headed up the stairs. "Revenge sex."

"That's not—" Cassandra let out a breath when she met Marcel's eyes and found him staring back at her with raised eyebrows. "Oh, fine. I guess that is what it was. Kind of."

She lowered her head as she let out a soft laugh. When they reached the top of the stairs and began to head down the long hallway, they could both hear Klaus and Elijah talking. She smiled to herself, relieved to hear Elijah's voice again. As they neared the parlor where the two brothers were, she zipped up the jacket she was wearing to conceal the blood stain on her blouse.

"We need to make a move before she strikes," Elijah whispered as Cassandra and Marcel walked into the room.

"Well, actually," Marcel called out, prompting Klaus to turn around and face him and Cassandra. "Moves were made while you were sleeping."

While he stopped and leaned his shoulder against the door frame, Cassandra continued a few steps further into the room and smiled at Elijah. "Welcome back. It's good to see you vertical." He smiled back at her. She glanced from him to Klaus as she continued to speak. "Marcel and I each left a gift for you in the ballroom." Klaus shifted his eyes from her to Marcel curiously. Cassandra had to fight the urge to giggle at his perplexed facial expression. "You're welcome."

Klaus turned back at Elijah who remained stone faced, then headed out of the room. Elijah followed swiftly after him. Part of Cassandra wanted to follow them so she could see their reactions, but she thought better of it. Instead, she bid Marcel a good night and disappeared to her and Klaus's bedroom to change. Once she had a clean t-shirt on she slipped downstairs into the kitchen and grabbed a blood bag out of the supply. She popped the cap off the small tube connected to the end of it and brought the tube up to her mouth. She drank slowly as she headed back upstairs to the bedroom, savoring every swallow.

She was standing by the balcony staring out the window when Klaus entered the room. She discarded the drained blood bag into the nearby wastebasket and met him in the middle of the room.

"So," he took her by the hands and pulled her closer. "How did you do it? How did you manage to capture my oldest brother?"

"It was a team effort," Cassandra answered. "Myself, Aiden, Josh, Cami, and Marcel to be precise. We worked together to come up with a solid plan, and then while Aiden, Josh, Cami, and I executed that plan, Marcel went to handle Kol."

"Mmmm," he hummed as he brought her hands up to rest on his shoulders and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Seems we have cause for celebration."

"Yes, we do."

"And we will celebrate, but first I need to tell you something."

"Okay."

"I had to kill my father tonight," he whispered.

Cassandra blinked in surprise. "What? Why?"

"He knew about Hope. I couldn't risk Esther finding out and using the knowledge against us. I didn't want to do it, but I _had_ to. For our daughter's safety."

"Oh my god."

He brought a hand up to stroke the side of her face. "Please, don't be mad. I can't…I need you on my side for this."

"Oh, Klaus," Cassandra wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm not mad. I completely understand why you did it. I'm just so sorry it had to come to that. You finally get the chance to meet your real father and..."

"I know," he murmured.

She let out a soft sigh as she raised her head to meet his eyes. "You know, I didn't think it was possible to hate your mother more than I already do, but apparently it is."

"You needn't worry, love. She'll get exactly what she deserves. You and Marcel tipped the scales in our favor significantly tonight. If Elijah and I can get Kol and Finn to stand with us, together we can take Esther down."

"Ah. Well, maybe I can help with that. I'm sure I can convince Kol to join us. I—" She stopped when a frown appeared on his face. "What?"

Klaus spoke in a low voice. "That is not a good idea."

"It's not?"

"No."

"And why's that? You afraid he'll try to woo me away from you?"

"Let's just say I don't trust him not to try."

Cassandra shook her head as she laughed softly and cupped the side of his face. "You know I love you and your younger brother being here doesn't change that. Yes, it may be a little intense, or awkward, but if he tries anything I'll set him straight and —"

Klaus leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss, cutting her off. She smiled against his lips and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. As the kiss began to deepen, Klaus slowly started to guide her backwards towards the bed. After a couple of steps, Cassandra grew impatient and the next thing they both knew, she'd whooshed the both of them to the bed and straddled Klaus as he lay flat on his back.

She broke away from the kiss and giggled as she ran her hands up his chest. "I have wanted to do that for so long!"

He gazed at her with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. The next thing she knew, he'd flipped their bodies so that she was flat on her back and he was hovering over her. He stared down at her for a moment before recapturing her lips and kissing her with a fiery passion that made her toes curl and her head spin.


	31. A Game-Changing Discovery

**Hey guys! I'm back with another juicy update! Thank you so much to everyone who read and/or left me comments on the last chapter. They always make me smile. I'm sorry for taking so long (again). It's not writers block or anything like that. It's just not always easy for me to find time to sit down and upload the next chapter to the Doc Manager and get it all ready for you. Anyway, enough about that. There were a few questions I noted that I wanted to address here.**

 **One person asked why Cassandra never said anything to Klaus about Elijah kissing her. Firstly, if you remember, it's not like he doesn't know because Elijah told him in the cemetery when they thought she was dead. That whole ordeal with her dying and coming back thanks to Hope's blood, then *spoiler alert* learning she has the werewolf gene, in my mind it kind of pushed that to the back of all of their minds. There were so many other things going on that they were way more focused on (like saving Hope!). Enough time has passed that they don't need to rehash it now. I hope that clarifies things more. Good question, by the way.**

 **Another question I saw was if Cassandra would be the one to marry Jackson down the line. I did toy with this idea a little bit, but I quickly had to dismiss it because I realized there's no way Klaus would allow that. He loves her, remember? That's not to say that there still won't be a jealous Klaus, Elijah, and Kol for that matter. Actually, I think you'll find there is a bit of that in this chapter, and there will certainly be more in the next.**

 **Someone else asked about how much of the canon story I'll be following. All of it! Of course, there will be tweaks here in there to make Cassandra fit in to it, but I'll definitely be following it as closely as possible. I'm planning to do a third part which will cover Season 4 and 5. It's going to be another epic ride.**

 **I think I've gone on long enough, so I'll leave you guys to your reading. I can't wait to see what you all think. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 31 - A Game-Changing Discovery**

The vibrant laughter of children laughing filled the air. The leaves in the trees rustled slightly from the gentle breeze and provided shade to those lounging on the grass below. Runners jogged on the winding sidewalks while others walked or pushed strollers or were walking their dogs. On the playground Rebekah gently pushed her six-month-old niece, Hope, back and forth in a swing. Gripping the edge of the swing with her tiny hands, she cooed and laughed as Rebekah murmured softly at her, grinning from ear to ear.

The loud tweeting of a bird caused Rebekah to casually look around. To the left of the swing set she spotted a black bird perched on top of the monkey bars, and it stared right at her. She turned back to Hope for a moment, then glanced back at the monkey bars and blinked in surprise at the presence of four more black birds that had perched at various points on the playground apparatuses and were all staring at her. Slightly uncomfortable, she turned back to Hope, but her gaze was pulled back by the sound of flapping wings. She slowly turned her head back toward the monkey bars a third time and felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of nearly thirty black birds, all of which were staring at her.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Rebekah muttered under her breath. She turned back to Hope and smiled at her as she scooped her out of the swing and into her arms. "Time to go, sweetheart."

She grabbed the pale pink blanket she had placed in the swing and wrapped it around Hope before hurrying back to the car as fast as she could without attracting attention.

* * *

Klaus walked into the ballroom to join his brothers for breakfast and a very important family meeting with a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips and a slight spring in his step. None of this went unnoticed by Kol who eyed him curiously as he took a seat the head of the table.

"Well, someone woke up in a good mood this morning," Kol noted, making the shackles on his wrists rattle slightly as he rested his hands on top of the table. He and Finn sat to Klaus's right, while Elijah sat across from them on Klaus's left.

"What can I say?" Klaus smirked at Kol. "Thanks to Cassandra, I slept like a baby last night. How did you sleep?" Kol started to open his mouth to shoot off a witty comeback, then promptly shut it. He'd been momentarily rendered speechless.

"Niklaus," Finn sighed in boredom. "Do get on with whatever it is you have to say to us."

"Very well," Klaus nodded.

"Where is the lovely Cassandra this morning?" Kol found his voice and glanced toward the courtyard. "Will she be joining us?"

"No, she will not," Klaus answered curtly. "She's taking care of some business in the Bayou."

"Well, that's a shame. I guess she and I will have to catch up later," Kol mused.

"I'm going to ignore that and get straight to the reason why you both are here," Klaus spoke calmly. "We arrive into this world as innocents. Wide-eyed, vulnerable. It is the job of our parents to nurture and protect us. Unfortunately, our own parents failed miserably at even the most basic of parental tasks. But we are not beholden to the past they created for us." Waiters approached the table and set down trays of beignets, toast, and fruit. "Today, a new future awaits. Forget your animosity toward Elijah and myself. Instead, join us against she who truly deserves your ire—our mother. Do this, and we will welcome you with open arms."

"Well—" Kol tilted his head and started to reach for the plate of beignets. Before he could make contact, Klaus pulled the plate out of his reach.

"But," Klaus pointed a finger and smirked. "If you continue to oppose us, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns."

Kol scoffed softly. "If all you wanted was my allegiance against mother dearest, you should've said so."

"Yes, this was Niklaus," Elijah's voice was calm. His comment made Klaus smirk again. " _My_ recommendation was to remove your limbs one by one until you comply."

Klaus started to laugh and rose to his feet. He walked around the table to stand behind Kol and Finn. "We have no desire to torture you," he placed his hands on their shoulders and leaned down between them. "Provided you vow to stand beside us as brothers."

"Brothers?" Finn sighed. "Does that even apply to us after all these centuries of betrayal? And is loyalty to you," he looked over his shoulder at Klaus. "Ever really rewarded?" He turned back and stared at the table as Klaus began to walk back towards his chair, a grim expression on his face. He kept his back to Finn as Finn continued to rant. "If so, tell me, Niklaus, where is our sister Rebekah? She was blindly loyal to you for a thousand years, and now nowhere to be found. Where did our sister go? And how did she escape your vile machinations?"

Klaus chuckled softly and turned back to face his oldest brother, smirking in amusement. "You think me vile?" He sat back down in his chair. "Well, what then do you make of the one who cursed us?"

"She was trying to make you mortal again," Finn hissed in frustration. Across the table, Elijah eyed him intently and nonchalantly picked up knife, twirling it delicately between his fingers. "That you both," Finn looked momentarily at Elijah before focusing back on Klaus. "Refused her only proves how far you've fallen. But I expect Rebekah will have a different response to her proposal. See, unlike the two of you, she always did cling to her humanity."

Elijah held the knife up and pointed it at Finn. "Rebekah's off limits to you. You pursue her and you will suffer," he threatened with an icy, cold stare.

"Do not let him goad you, Elijah," Klaus spoke in a calming voice as he tried to reign Elijah back in. "Neither he nor Esther will find Rebekah unless she wants to be found," he eyed Finn. Elijah lowered the knife, though he continued to clench his fist tightly around the handle. "And she does not."

"Esther is quite determined," Finn told them. Elijah pressed his closed fist against his tightly closed lips." She's been searching for Rebekah since the day she returned. I imagine it's only a matter of time."

Having heard enough, Elijah stood and reached across the table for Finn, grabbing him by the scruff of his jacket. Finn let out a yell as Elijah yanked him onto the table, sending food and dishes spilling to the floor, and bared his vampire face with a growl as he bit into his neck. Kol and Klaus jumped out of their seats in surprise. It took only a couple of seconds for Klaus to pull Elijah off of Finn and usher him out of the room.

Once they were far enough away to talk in hushed voices without worry of being overheard by Finn or Kol, Klaus shoved Elijah back against the wall in the courtyard. "I enjoy a good bloodletting as much as anyone," he let go of Elijah and pulled Elijah's handkerchief out of his lapel pocket, handing it to him so he could wipe the blood off of his mouth. "But our brothers have power as well as knowledge of Esther's plans. We need them alive."

"Can you imagine," Elijah whispered back. "What they would do to Rebekah? To Hope?"

"Rebekah has been cloaked by powerful magic." Klaus did his best to reassure his brother. "Focus on the task at hand. We need to persuade our brothers."

"I'm through with persuasion," Elijah hissed. He started to step past Klaus when Klaus put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him, and held him back.

"Has the Earth shifted on its axis?" Klaus raised his eyebrows in amusement. " _You_ needing restraint from _me_."

Elijah blinked, slightly taken aback by the irony. Before he could comment, his phone began to ring from inside his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen to see who was calling. It was Rebekah. He answered it and brought the phone to his ear.

"It's me," Rebekah's voice rang out. "I have the baby and we're on the run. Esther found us. We're safe for. I've lost her bloody starlings, but I have no idea where to go."

He turned and began pacing down the hallway as he listened to her, with Klaus following right behind him, hanging on every single word.

"Tell her to head west," Klaus instructed, prompting Elijah to turn around to face him. He held the phone away from his ear so Rebekah could hear him. "I'll call Cassandra."

"Do not call Cassandra. Esther's too smart for that," Rebekah ordered. "Besides, the last thing I want to do right now is throw Cassandra into a tizzy. The only advantage we have is that Esther thinks the baby died. Text me with plans."

Elijah sighed as Rebekah hung up and lowered his phone. "Go," he told Klaus. "I'll take care of Kol and Finn."

Klaus wasn't as quick to agree to this plan. "Splendid. And in your hands, I assume they'll be dead by nightfall.

"I will show restraint," Elijah insisted. "Hope needs her father."

"What she needs—what—" Klaus let out a small breath to keep himself from getting riled up. "What we need are allies to help us defeat our mother. Finn and Kol must be turned to our side. Without their help, there'll be nowhere for Hope to run.

Elijah shook his head in disagreement. "Klaus, your child—"

"I have waited months to see my daughter. I can wait one more day," Klaus murmured softly. Elijah stared at him for a long moment with his lips tightly pressed together and then began to walk past him. "Elijah," Klaus called after him, prompting Elijah to turn back toward him. "Do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

"I give you my word," Elijah answered.

* * *

"The wolves are freaking out. They know it had to be an insider who took down Vincent last night seeing as no one could've been anywhere near him," Aiden told Jackson, Hayley, and Cassandra in a frantic rush of words. They had met up outside Jackson's trailer to talk and regroup. After Klaus had asked her to make herself scarce while he and Elijah dealt with Finn and Kol, Cassandra knew exactly where to go. She arrived to find Aiden explaining his dilemma with the wolves.

"Anyone suspect it was you?" Jackson asked in a calm, deep voice.

Aiden shook his head. "No, not yet. But they're gonna figure it out which pretty much means I'm screwed unless we come up with a plan."

"Call a meeting," Hayley advised him in a soft voice. "The whole pack. Tonight. If they're so scared, now's the perfect time to convince them they need to ditch Esther."

"She gave them moonlight rings," Aiden held up his right hand on which he was wearing a silver ring with a black kyanite stone.

"Those rings make you Esther's slaves," Cassandra pointed out.

"No. They make us powerful," Aiden closed his right hand into a tight fist. "We were exiles before, now we run the city. The vampires are scared of us. No one, including me, is gonna walk away from that because—"

"Set the damn meeting," Jackson growled in a deep voice as he stood up and walked toward Aiden until they were nose to nose. After giving Aiden a firm stare down, he walked off to the dock by the lake be alone. Aiden glanced from Hayley to Cassandra, then sighed and walked off to inform the rest of the pack.

"So," Cassandra let out a small breath and turned to Hayley. "Which of us is going to go have a chat with Jackson?"

"Tag team it?" Hayley suggested. Cassandra nodded in agreement. They followed the short path away from the trailer over to the boathouse on the dock where Jackson was. As they approached him, they both heard the cracking of a can of beer being opened.

"So," Hayley spoke first. "Are you gonna work on a rousing speech or just get day-drunk?"

"Little bit of both," Jackson glanced over at her.

"Jackson," Cassandra kept her voice calm as she took the beer out of his hand. "It's 10 a.m."

Jackson turned away and walked over to the boathouse. He stopped beside a small table covered in books and turned around to lean against the wall. He looked down at the table and picked up a brown, leather-bound journal off of one of the many stacks.

"You know, for months, I wrote down every single word Ansel said," he ran his thumb against the edges of the pages and looked up at Cassandra and Hayley. "An entire history of our people. If only I'd known he was Klaus's father, I would have asked him a hell of a lot more."

"Me too," Cassandra murmured softly as Jackson walked back over to where she and Hayley stood.

"Y'know, I was up all night looking through this," He jiggled the journal in his hand, "Trying to find something, anything, that'll help me figure out how to get our people back together." He turned and tossed the journal back onto the table.

"Let me guess. No such luck," Cassandra sighed softly.

"Nothing viable," Jackson answered. "And now Ansel's dead. Along with Ollie. So," He reached over and took the can of beer out of Cassandra's hand, "Forgive me if I need a beer because right now I can use all the help I can get."

Cassandra nodded her head once and watched as he walked back towards the trailer. Biting the edge of her lip, Cassandra walked over to the table and picked up the leather journal. She carried it over to the edge of the dock and sat down, allowing her legs to dangle off of the side.

"I'm gonna go talk to Jack. Let me know if you find anything in there that might help us," Hayley told her before walking off.

"Mmm hmm. Will do," Cassandra murmured as she opened the journal and began skimming the pages.

Thirty minutes later, she jumped to her feet and gripped the journal tightly in her hand as she rushed back to the trailer. She found Hayley leaning back against the small wooden table, watching Jackson as he chopped wood with an axe. She motioned for Hayley to come over and opened the journal to a specific page.

"You have to read this," she handed the journal to Hayley and pointed at a paragraph. Hayley's eyes darted back and forth as she read. When she was done, she looked up at Cassandra with surprise in her eyes. "Crazy, right?"

Hayley nodded and took a deep breath before turning around and walking up to Jackson, with Cassandra following right behind her. "You wanna stop playing mountain man and explain why you kept this from me?" Hayley held up the journal. Jackson let out a heavy sigh as he tossed the axe onto the stump he'd been using to chop wood on. "Why don't I jog your memory." She opened the journal and began to read out loud. "'The werewolves' power can be traced back to the myth of the Unification Ceremony, a ritual that bestowed certain unique abilities onto every member of the pack.' Do you believe this?"

"I didn't at first," Jackson murmured with a slight shake of his head. "And then Ansel swore he saw it with his own eyes. And then he dies and I find he's resurrected from one thousand years ago which means he was alive to see it."

"How did I not know about this?" Hayley asked.

"You didn't grow up out here. Every kid grows up hearing the stories. Back in the day, werewolf bloodlines were all distinct. Some had speed, some had strength, some could sense enemies coming from miles away. Now, to evolve," he glanced back and forth between Hayley and Cassandra as he explained. "we would perform a ritual. A shaman would marry the alphas of each bloodline. And then the special abilities of each would be inherited mystically, by everyone who participated in the ritual. See, after a few centuries, everybody had the same abilities, so alpha marriages became political. They became about power, about territory."

"I wish there was a way I could share my unique hybrid abilities with you," Cassandra sighed. "It would be so much simpler if the ritual didn't involve a marriage."

"Yeah," Jackson nodded. "If the vows ain't honored, it doesn't work."

"Great," Hayley dropped her arms to her sides. "We're right back to where we started with no way to get the pack to ditch Esther's rings and join our side."

"Well, wait a minute," The wheels in Cassandra's head began to spin. "Maybe there is a way. The both of you are Alphas. If we kept one of the rings, just one, and one of you wore it, then you both could go through the Unification Ritual and get married, and share the rings abilities which is what the others in the pack all want anyway, so it's a win-win across the board."

"Jack," Hayley's face brightened. "This is exactly the answer we've been looking for. Let's find a shaman, we'll say some vows. Hell, we'll make it a party."

Jackson stared back at Hayley with stern eyes. "It ain't just a party. It's gotta be a real marriage in every way, for the rest of our lives. Are you sure you're up for that?"

Cassandra looked from him to Hayley. She could tell by the look on Hayley's face that she hadn't been thinking the idea all the way through. Jackson saw it too.

"Didn't think so," he murmured before grabbing a can of beer he's set on the ground and walking back towards the trailer.

"Hey, do you think your friend Cami might have more information on this ritual or any other werewolf ceremonies in her uncle's files?" Hayley asked once Jackson was no longer in sight.

"I don't know," Cassandra shrugged and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I'll call her and ask." She dialed Cami's number and held the phone up to her ear.

"Cassandra, hey," Cami answered after two rings in a groggy voice. "What's up?"

"Hey, Cami. I need a favor."

-o-

An hour later, Cassandra, Hayley, and Cami were huddled in the secret room in Kieran's apartment, sifting through files and books for more information on werewolf rituals. Cami sat at the small desk in the corner with an open file in front of her. She let out a soft groan and rubbed her forehead, attracting both Cassandra and Hayley's attention.

"You sure you're okay?" Cassandra asked, eying Cami skeptically.

"Yeah," Cami raised her head and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I must just be coming down with something."

"I'm so sorry to drag you out of bed for this," Cassandra murmured apologetically. "It could have waited a day or two."

"Please, you guys just discovered an ancient marriage ritual with pretty drastic supernatural and personal implications," Cami flashed both Cassandra and Hayley a small smile. "The least I could do is get out of bed." They smiled back at her. "So," Cami turned back to the open file in front of her and tapped it with her hand. "This is everything I found in my uncle's files about werewolf ceremonies and rituals." She paused a moment as Hayley moved over to stand beside her to see the file. "Mostly, it sounds like old folklore and fables." Hayley stared down at the file and slowly nodded her head. "But, I'm guessing you guys aren't here looking for some kind of proof."

"I don't know what I'm looking for," Hayley sighed and shook her head.

Cami glanced from Hayley to Cassandra. "Not to pry, but does Jackson have any answers?"

"He doesn't even want to talk about it," Cassandra answered in a soft voice.

"He doesn't even wanna put me in this position," Hayley added. "He's a good, decent guy, if those even exist anymore."

"Well, there's no right answer to this. You just," Cami raised her arms and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "You have to figure out what's best for you. Think long and hard about your decision because you're the one who's going to have to live with it."

"Yeah," Hayley whispered. "No pressure."

Cami turned around to pack up the file and put it away. As she leaned over the small desk, Cassandra's eyes were drawn to the opening in the back of Cami's shirt where she saw a line of pin-pricks running down the length of her spine.

"Hey, what's that on your back," Cassandra frowned and stepped toward Cami to get a closer look. Cami looked up at her, concern filling her eyes. She side-stepped to the mirror positioned on the wall behind the desk and stood with her back to it. She glanced over her shoulder to look at her reflection and saw the pin-pricks for herself. She met Cassandra's eyes and stared at her with fear and worry.

* * *

Elijah sat alone at a table in a small, empty dinner with his eyes on the entrance. The door to the diner opened and in walked his baby sister, Rebekah. She was smiling from ear to ear as she walked towards him with a baby carrier in her hand. He stood, smiling back at her as she reached the table and reached for the handle of the baby carrier, helping her lift it onto the table. He gazed down at the baby for a moment, then turned to Rebekah. They hugged each other tightly for a long moment before letting go and turning their attention back to Hope. Rebekah took a seat on one side of the booth while Elijah carefully lifted Hope out of her car seat and cradled her in his arms.

"Look at you," he murmured as Rebekah moved the baby carrier off the table and onto the floor. He slowly sat down on the other side of the booth. "So big, so perfect."

"Mmm," Rebekah beamed as she watched her brother and niece.

"I can't imagine the joy of spending every day with her. It's—"

"Quite lovely," Rebekah murmured. "It feels so human."

"Yes. Some would argue the most human of experiences," he looked up at Rebekah.

"I know I have to give her back to Cassandra when the time is right. But she's made me realize how much I want that child of my own I know I can't have," Rebekah watched as Elijah rocked Hope back and forth in in his arms.

"It's a lovely dream," He smiled at Hope. "Unfortunately, it's one that's just beyond our reach considering the curse of our existence.:

Concern filled Rebekah's eyes. "Seems Esther's attacking with her usual fervor."

"Yes, Mother tortured me for days with memories I thought I'd buried long ago," Elijah licked his lips and paused for a moment before continuing. "Then, she made an offer to make us all mortal again. You see, sister, Mother believes that by placing us in new bodies, we can then reclaim some kind of purity. We can begin families of our own again. And I have to confess, Rebekah, this invitation, however cruel in delivery, had a certain kind of…appeal.

Rebekah gazed at him sympathetically and stretched her arm across the table toward him. Elijah placed her hand in his, allowing her to squeeze it gently. Hope began to whimper softly, drawing his gaze again. As he was looking at her, Rebekah noticed a smear of blood on the cuff of Elijah's sleeve. Elijah glanced up and saw her staring. He looked down at his arm, then back up at her.

"You needn't worry," he tried to reassure her. "We're safe."

Rebekah licked her lips as she processed both what she'd seen with her eyes and what her brother had said before deciding how to handle it. Putting on a fake smile, she grabbed the blanket out of the baby carrier and stood up.

"Looks like this little one needs her diaper changed," she looped the diaper bag over her shoulder and held the blanket open in her outstretched arms. Elijah stood up and carefully placed Hope in her awaiting arms. "Here, my love."

She began to make her way toward the restroom located in the back of the restaurant. As she passed by the bar, her eyes widened in horror at the sight of a deep red smear of blood on the counter. Looking past that, she noticed another smear of blood on the door leading to the kitchen. She walked up the door and slowly pushed it open. Inside she found the bloodied bodies of a dozen people, staff and patrons, strewn around the room. She let out a frightened gasp as she turned around and walked out of the kitchen, her eyes widened in horror. Elijah was worse off than any of them realized.

* * *

After splitting from Hayley who went to St. Anne's to deal with the wolves, Cassandra led Cami through the gate into the compound. Her hope was that Klaus would know what the holes on Cami's back were and what to do about it. If not, she'd seek out Kol next, for surely he'd recognize them with his thousand years of witchcraft knowledge and know-how. They were halfway through the corridor when she picked up on the sound of Marcel's voice.

"Kol is with us now. We're gonna be going up against Esther, assuming Klaus is upright," Marcel spoke calmly.

 _Assuming Klaus is upright? What on earth does that mean?_ Cassandra frowned. _And who is Marcel talking to?_

"Look, Nik, he's a pain in the ass, but, well, she's a problem for us all," Kol spoke next. His words confused Cassandra even more, but the next voice she heard made everything become crystal clear.

"Klaus is the problem," Davina argued back. "I don't give a damn what happens to Esther."

"Yeah, well, I sure do," Cassandra called out as she and Cami walked up to where Marcel, Kol, and Davina stood in the courtyard. Cassandra's eyes immediately landed on Klaus's lifeless body lying on the floor at the foot of the stairs. She stared at Marcel, Kol, and Davina wide-eyed. "What happened?"

Both Marcel and Kol shrugged and cast sideways glances at Davina. Cassandra turned to her and noticed the gash on her forehead for the first time. Then she saw the bite mark on her neck. Filled with an overwhelming wave of rage, Cassandra whooshed forward to Davina and grabbed her by the throat.

"What the hell did you do to him?" She growled as she shoved Davina back against the brick wall and made her hybrid face appear.

"Woah," Marcel appeared at Cassandra's side and placed a gentle hand lightly on her shoulder. "Take it easy, Cassandra."

"I…I…poisoned him…with…my…blood," Davina gasped for breath beneath Cassandra's tight grip.

"You what?" Cassandra hissed and squeezed Davina's throat harder, making her whimper as she struggled to breath.

"He's going to be fine. He'll wake up in an hour," Marcel moved his hand onto her arm. "Kol and I weren't going to let anything long-lasting happen to him. We need him to help take down Esther, and Davina knows that. Right, D?"

Davina nodded her head vigorously. Seeing the overwhelming fear in Davina's eyes, Cassandra made her face return to normal and let go of Davina's throat. She turned around while Davina began to take deep breaths and walked over to where Klaus lay. She knelt down and brushed the back of her hand against Klaus's cheek while Cami filled Davina, Marcel, and Kol in on the puncture wounds that had appeared on her back. Cassandra wasn't surprised when Kol confirmed the puncture marks were a result of a spell Esther had performed. She could feel rage toward Esther bubbling inside of her and took a few slow, deep breaths keep herself calm.

"Where's Vincent?" Cami asked in a demanding voice.

Cassandra heard a soft voice mumble 'ballroom' followed by the sound of footsteps leaving the courtyard. She let out a sigh, thinking she was finally alone with Klaus, but her wishful thinking was short-lived. She could sense someone was standing behind her, and one whiff of the air told her who it was.

"What do you want, Kol?" She murmured softly, keeping her eyes on Klaus.

"I didn't know Davina was going to go after him like that," Kol spoke softly. "If I had, I would've—"

"You would have….what?" Cassandra snapped as she stood up and turned around to face him, folding her arms across her chest. "We both know you are enjoying every second of this. Don't you dare try to deny it." She closed her eyes and sighed, realizing her outburst at him was unwarranted. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm still learning to control my heightened emotions."

"Don't worry about it, darling," he smiled at her and surprised her by reaching for her hand. He gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "It's been what…six months? That's not long at all. You'll master them eventually."

Her lips curled into a small smile. "Thanks."

"Listen, I didn't get the chance to say anything last night, but I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about your baby. I know I've done a lot of horrible things as an original vampire, but what they did to you and to her...it's unforgiveable."

"Thank you for saying that. It means a lot, actually."

In the silent few seconds that followed, Kol began to move his thumb in circles against her knuckles. The moment ended almost as quickly as it had begun when the sound of oncoming footsteps made Cassandra look toward the doorway leading to the ballroom right as Marcel stepped into the courtyard. His eyes immediately landed on her and Kol. Noticing their clasped hands, he raised his eyebrows curiously. Cassandra cleared her throat and pulled her hand away from Kol's grasp.

"So," she rubbed her hand against the top of her leg. "What'd Vincent...er...Finn have to say?"

"Esther intends to put Rebekah in my body," Cami answered as she walked back into the courtyard.

"Of course she does," Cassandra sighed. "Well, that's not going to happen. I like both of you just the way you are."

"Thanks," Cami flashed her a tiny smile.

Cassandra smiled back at her, then glanced at Marcel, Kol, and Davina who had taken seats at a nearby couch and easy chair set up around a coffee table in the middle of the courtyard. "So, how do we stop her?"

"And how long do I have?" Cami added.

"Well, now that Esther knows where Rebekah's hiding, not long," Kol answered. "The only way to stop it is to stop her."

This was news to Cassandra, but she remained calm and collected. She knew if she started to show too much emotion over Rebekah's safety and wellbeing, they'd begin to question why, and that would only open a can of worms that she needed to stay tightly shut. She would take her concerns to Klaus later, once he was upright again and they were able to talk in private.

"Then let's do this," Cami spoke with all the determination she could muster as she looked around at everyone. "Cassandra is a hybrid, Marcel is a vampire, you and Davina are both powerful witches."

"Esther is stronger than anything I've ever seen," Marcel spoke next. "We go up against her—"

"We're gonna need Klaus," Cassandra finished, setting her sight on Davina.

"No," Davina stood up. "No, we can do this without him."

Kol tried to reason with her. "Cassandra's right, Davina. We do need him, much as I hate to admit it.

"Davina," Cami walked up to her and took her by the hands as she pleaded with her eyes. "I know this is asking a lot, but please."

Davina stared back at her for a long moment before walking over to the stairs where Klaus's body lay. Cassandra's breath caught in her throat as she watched Davina kneel by his head and touch his forehead while mumbling an incantation. Klaus woke with a loud gasp and rolled onto his side.

"What did she do to me?" Klaus looked at Marcel and Kol as he pulled himself back onto his feet.

"All you need to know is that I beat you," Davina answered in a smug voice. "Again."

"And yet, you relented," He cast a sideways glance at her. "You need me, don't you?" Davina rolled her eyes as Klaus's lips curled into a smirk. "Did I really lose?"

Cassandra shook her head slightly at his smugness. She gave him a small smile as he walked over to her. He did not smile back.

"You are not supposed to be here, love," he spoke in a low voice as he wiped Davina's blood off the sides of his mouth.

"Yeah, well, I am. So, deal with it," Cassandra folded her arms across her chest. He stared at her with raised eyebrows as if to say, 'Excuse me?', prompting her to quickly back pedal. "Look, I know you don't want Kol around me, but we were bound to end up under the same roof eventually. It's not a big deal."

"Mmm, well that remains to be seen," he muttered and walked past her to the bar to pour himself a drink. Wanting to avoid any unnecessary crossfire, Marcel, Davina, Kol, and Cami quickly made themselves scare, leaving Klaus and Cassandra alone. After downing a few gulps of bourbon, Klaus walked back over to Cassandra. "How did it go in the Bayou?"

"It went well. Jackson, Hayley, and I were able to come up with a way to get the wolves out from under Esther. I'm just waiting to hear from her to see if the pack will agree to it. Speaking of Esther," she let out a sigh and filled him in on Cami's predicament. Klaus's face softened instantly.

He reached out and cupped the side of Cassandra's face. "We'll find a way to stop Esther. I won't let her use Cami as a vessel, I promise." She nodded her head once. "Now, then, if you'll excuse me. I need to have a word with my little brother. Alone."

"But I–" Cassandra stopped short when her phone started to ring.

"Saved by the cell phone," Klaus grinned and turned around to head into the dining room.

Cassandra let out a soft sigh as she pulled her phone out. Her annoyance was instantly forgotten when she saw Hayley's name flashing on the screen. She quickly answered and brought the phone up to her ear as she walked over to the corridor leading to the street outside the compound.

"Hayley!" she answered breathlessly.

"Hey. They're in. The whole pack," There was excitement in Hayley's voice. "I'll wear the ring since I'm the last of my line which makes me an Alpha by default."

"Wow! That's great! You're sure about this…I mean, marrying Jackson? It's kind of a big deal."

"Jack's a good guy. I may not be in love with him just yet, but I do care about him. I think I could fall in love with him, in time. And I know he'll treat me right. I want to do this."

"As long as you're sure. So, when's the big day?"

"I don't know. We're still trying to figure that out. When I know, I'll let you know."

"Good. It looks like we have Kol and Davina on our side to help take down Esther, so that's progress too. Anyway, I should go so I can fill Klaus and Elijah in on the plan."

"Have fun with that," Hayley laughed.

"Thanks," Cassandra laughed as they ended their phone call. She stuffed her phone back into her jacket pocket and headed back down the corridor to the courtyard. She found Klaus heading straight toward her with a fierceness in his eyes and a tightly clenched jaw. It was a far cry from who he'd been a short while ago. "Hey, have you seen Elijah? I have something to tell you both, about the Crescent wolves."

"You can tell me on the way," he told her as he continued to walk past her.

"What?" She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she watched him. "Where are we going?"

He stopped and slowly turned around to face her. "To see our daughter," he murmured.

She blinked, unsure she'd heard him right. When she looked in his eyes, she could see he was completely serious. He turned back around and continued down the corridor. Cassandra wasted no time jogging after him. She didn't ask questions about the timing. It didn't matter that neither of them had packed any bags. All she could think about was finally getting to hold her little girl in her arms again. And soon, she would be.


	32. Here Comes Karma

**Wow! I am completely floored and blown by all of your amazing comments after the last chapter, and in the best way possible. To know so many of you love this story so much gives me more joy then I ever thought possible. I am happy to announce that this chapter is filled with what you have all been anxiously waiting for...Hope interactions! And lots of them. Everyone gets a little bit of time with her. This was by far my favorite chapter to write in Season two so far. There's also a couple of major revelations that take place, but you'll have to read to find out what they are and who they involve. No hints this time. I can't wait to see what you guys have to say after you read this latest chapter. I hope your hearts race and flutter as much as mine did! Happy reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 32 - Here Comes Karma**

Rebekah hung a festive wreath on the front door of a cream-colored colonial house in the Arkansas countryside. She stepped back once she was done and took a moment to admire her handiwork. Satisfied, she headed back inside. After poking around and making sure everything in the house was in working order, she headed into the large living room holding a bottle of wine her hands.

"Well, isn't this place rather nice?" She spoke with a cheerfulness in her voice to Elijah who stood with his back to her in front of the fireplace as she gazed at the label on the bottle of wine. "Nik must have compelled a wine lover to keep it up because I found a 2005 Bordeaux." She held the bottle up for Elijah to see. "Fancy a sip?"

"I appreciate the sentiment, Rebekah, but I do recognize when I'm being handled with kid gloves," he replied in a slightly annoyed voice. He was referring to the fact that she had snapped his neck when they were at the diner the night before after finding the kitchen full of dead bodies.

Rebekah set the bottle of wine down on the coffee table. "How are you feeling?"

"Patronized," Elijah slowly turned around to face her. He gazed down at Hope who was wrapped in a blanket and laying in a play pen. She looked up at him as she held her hands against her mouth, cooing softly. He let his gaze linger on her for a long moment before meeting Rebekah's eyes again. "I am here to protect _you_."

"I know you mean to, Elijah."

"And yet, you find it necessary to render me unconscious before bringing me here."

"Well, you weren't yourself, and I needed to get us out of that diner. What happened back there?" Rebekah's face and voice were full of concern for her older brother.

"I don't know," Elijah murmured. He glanced down at a cooing Hope again. "Niklaus sent me to protect Hope." He walked over and sat down on the couch near the play pen. "My job is to keep her safe."

* * *

Cassandra tugged at the hem of her cotton skirt absentmindedly as she stared out of the passenger window of Klaus's black SUV while they drove down a dirt road surrounded by lush trees and foliage. They'd been driving all night and, naturally, she hadn't slept a wink. She was far too anxious about seeing her little girl after six long months. Butterflies swarmed around in her stomach and grew stronger the closer they grew to the safe house. Sensing her antsiness, Klaus reached for her left hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"We're almost there," he murmured softly. She nodded slowly and squeezed his hand back.

A few minutes later, Klaus pulled off of the dirt road and came to a stop in the driveway of the two-story colonial house. Cassandra's heart began to race the moment her eyes landed on Elijah and the beautiful baby he held in his arms. She unbuckled her seatbelt as the SUV rolled to a stop and climbed out of the car. Not wanting to wait for Klaus, she ran around the SUV and continued running toward Elijah and a beaming Rebekah. She stopped in her tracks when she was within a few yards of them, almost unable to believe her eyes as they landed on Hope. Not wanting to scare her, Cassandra slowly walked the rest of the way toward Elijah. He smiled and stepped forward, turning Hope around and holding her out to her mother.

"Hi," Cassandra murmured to Hope as she took her into her arms. She hugged Hope snugly against her chest and pressed her cheek against the side of her little head as she inhaled deeply. Her baby scent was the most incredible smell she'd ever inhaled in her entire life. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and slowly opened her eyes. She gave Elijah a grateful smile before slowly turning around and began to make her way to Klaus who'd stopped a few feet behind her, too overwhelmed to continue. She grinned at him and carefully passed the baby to him. She carefully held Hope's little hand in her own and laughed as Hope cooed happily. Klaus pressed his lips lightly against Hope's forehead and took a moment to enjoy her lovely scent as Cassandra had. It was by far the happiest moment in either of their lives, and as she turned back to Elijah and Rebekah, it showed in the ear-to-ear grin she cast at them.

-o-

After putting Hope down for her nap some time later, the four regrouped outside and stood around the tall bonfire Rebekah was building. It was then that Klaus told his siblings and Cassandra what he had learned from their oldest brother, Finn, regarding the truth about what had happened a thousand years ago to the first-born in their family, Freya. She hadn't died from plague, like they'd all been lead to believe. According to Finn, Esther had made a deal with her older sister Dahlia—in exchange for Dahlia using her magic to make Esther fertile, Esther would give up her firstborn and every first born of each generation from then on.

"Curse on the firstborn? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Rebekah asked as she laid another long stick against the wood teepee.

"According to Finn, our oldest sister Freya was taken as payment by our Aunt Dahlia who then cursed all Mikaelson firstborns for eternity," Klaus explained as he walked over to stand beside Elijah.

Cassandra's stomach dropped, but somehow, maybe because she was still running off the high she'd gotten from being reunited with her baby, she was able to remain calm. Standing beside Rebekah, she helped place more wood against the teepee as she met Klaus's eyes. "Is any of this true? Can we trust the source?"

"It is if we can believe Finn who learned it from that bastion of truth, our mother," Elijah answered as he rolled up the sleeves of his grey-blue button up shirt.

"Well, no wonder Finn hates us. He lost the sister he adored and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull," Rebekah commented, earning a small smile from Elijah.

"Great, so is there any chance of us running into your crazy Aunt Dahlia anytime soon?" Cassandra glanced around at all three Mikaelsons.

"The fable's over a thousand years old," Elijah glanced at her as he placed a stick against the bonfire teepee. "Dahlia's long dead."

Cassandra wasn't convinced. "Like Esther?" She argued, causing Elijah to glance back up at her.

"No one's going to hurt Hope because no one's going to find her," Klaus answered in a calm, soft voice. Cassandra met his eyes and nodded her head slowly, accepting his answer. He refocused on the teepee as Rebekah added another piece of wood. "That's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas," he added with a subtle smirk.

Rebekah brushed off her hands. "Well, we're just missing a key ingredient."

"No we're not," Klaus answered quickly with a shake of his head. Too quickly, in Cassandra's opinion. It did not go unnoticed by Rebekah either.

"Yes we are, Nik," Rebekah grinned and turned to her other brother who was sporting a grin of his own. "Back me up, Elijah!"

With his arms folded across his chest, he let out a soft laugh. "I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes."

"Okay, someone want to fill me in on whatever it is you are all talking about?" Cassandra glanced at all three of them in amused confusion.

"Well, before we light it," Rebekah gestured at the built bonfire. "We write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck. It was Kol's favorite part when we were kids."

"It's further evidence as to why we should ignore it," Klaus continued to protest the idea.

Cassandra, on the other hand, was immediately all for it. "Hope's first bonfire season. I like it," she grinned and nodded her head. "We're doing it." She raised her eyebrows at Klaus, practically challenging him to protest again, but he remained silent. Satisfied, she turned around and headed inside to find paper and pens for them to write their wishes on.

After locating a small notepad and pencil, she, Elijah, and Rebekah each took a turn writing down their wishes. When they were done, they realized Klaus had managed to slip away. It took no time at all for Cassandra to find him sitting at the table in the rustic-looking dining room holding Hope so that she was standing up with her feet on top of his legs. The sound of Hope cooing happily as he watched her with a joyful expression on his face nearly made Cassandra melt on the spot. She watched for a long moment before making herself known.

"Here," she placed the notebook and pencil on the table in front of him.

Klaus glanced at it for a split second before turning his gaze back to Hope. "I'm holding a small child, Cassandra. "The silly wish game will have to wait."

"You write, I'll hold," Cassandra suggested.

"Is that how you see me now?" He looked up at her with raised eyebrows. "The lover whom you can boss around?"

Cassandra folded her arms across her chest. "You do realize I had to endure horrendous labor and actual death birthing the child that you're holding. I think I'm entitled to a little bit of bossing around.

"Fine," Klaus sighed and handed her their daughter. She bounced Hope lightly in her arms while Klaus reached for the notebook and pencil, speaking out loud what he was writing as he scribbled it down. "I wish Cassandra would stop bossing me around and let me get back to spending time with our daughter." He ripped the paper out of the notebook when he was done and held it out to Cassandra.

"Not funny," she wrinkled her nose at him as she took the paper and crumpled it into a ball. She tossed it back at him before turning around and leaving the room with Hope still in her arms. She settled in on the couch in the living room with her daughter on her lap and played with her until it was time to light the bonfire. She put a bright pink hooded jacket on Hope before heading outside. She stood beside Elijah and watched as Klaus walked over to the firewood teepee and tossed a lit match into the center of it, igniting the bonfire.

"Hey!" Rebekah hollered excitedly as she came out of the house, waving a polaroid camera in the air. "I wonder if it'll work."

"Oh, bloody hell," Klaus groaned and turned away.

"Come on, let's try it. Hey Nik," Rebekah walked up to him and held out the camera. "Do you think you can cram us into a selfie?"

"Oh, Niklaus is the virtuoso of cramming his siblings into confined spaces," Elijah smiled as he and Cassandra walked over to join Klaus and Rebekah.

Klaus took the camera from Rebekah, unamused by his brother's humor. "I'm so glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother only to have him insult me to my face."

"Oh, come on, Klaus. Just take the picture! Please? For us?" Cassandra begged, holding Hope so they were both touching cheek to cheek and facing Klaus.

Knowing there was no way he could say no now, he sighed and held the camera high in the air. Rebekah, Cassandra, and Elijah crowded close together and smiled as he snapped the picture. Klaus lowered his arm as the camera spit out the polaroid and took it out of the slot. While he held it in his hand, the others watched as it slowly developed before their eyes.

"See," Rebekah hugged Klaus from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder as she gazed at the photo. "I wish it could always be like this."

"If wishes were horses—" Elijah murmured.

"Beggars would ride," Klaus finished in a soft voice. He took a deep breath. "You realize we'll have to burn it." It was a question meant mostly for Cassandra. He met her eyes for a brief moment and received a nod to confirm she understood. "You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebekah. I wish it didn't have to be like this, but it does." He took one last longing glance at the photo before holding it out to Cassandra. "We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands. Cassandra held Hope on her hip with one arm and took the polaroid with her free hand. She took her time walking to the blazing bonfire, staring at the photo to engrain it into her memory. With a deep breath, mostly to keep herself from crying, she tossed the photo into the flames and watched it slowly burn into ashes.

"No, this isn't right," Rebekah gazed momentarily at the burning photo and then turned away. "We deserve this. We've earned this. I won't let it slip away." She paused and let out a breath as she shifted her gaze back and forth from Klaus, Cassandra, and Elijah. "I know what to do to stop Esther."

"Rebekah, no," Elijah spoke in a deep, tense voice.

"I'm gonna take her deal. And when I do," She looked at Elijah, then Klaus. "I'm taking her down with me," Rebekah shot back in a determined voice.

Cassandra wanted to protest along with Elijah, but deep down she knew Rebekah was doing what was best for her. She wanted to know more about what Rebekah was going to do to take Esther down, but the conversation quieted so she refrained for the time being.

A little while later she was sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch feeding Hope a bottle when Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah decided to resume the conversation inside. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she also knew they each would have done the same thing, so she didn't feel too guilty listening in with her hybrid hearing ability.

"It'll work," Rebekah tried to reassure her brothers after explaining her plan. She'll be distracted during the spell. She'll be vulnerable."

"No," Klaus disagreed. "If we kill her, she body-jumps."

"Then stop her from jumping," Rebekah argued back.

"If I knew how to bloody stop her from jumping, I'd have happily murdered her ages ago," There was a clear tone of annoyance present in Klaus's voice now.

 _We are going to have to work on not using the word 'bloody' once we are able to permanently able to be a family,"_ Cassandra mused as she gazed at Hope. "Especially around you, my sweet little one."

"Ages ago, you didn't have a harvest girl or a Mikaelson witch," Rebekah reminded Klaus. "Kol knows all of her tricks."

"Are you both insane?" Elijah asked in a dry voice.

"Hardly, Elijah. It was your idea. You were the one who said she needed a win. If we get this right, then she'll have one," Rebekah continued.

Elijah spoke next, saying what Cassandra had been thinking. "And if we do it wrong, you're no longer in your own body."

"Would that be the worst thing?" Rebekah asked him. "You were ready to do it yourself?"

"What?" Cassandra whispered to herself as her heart skipped a beat.

Elijah spoke in a calm voice. "It was a foolish moment, one that you sagely dissuaded me from.

"Oh," Cassandra let out a breath. "Thank goodness for that."

"Hopefully, we'll get lucky and stop the spell before I jump," Rebekah tried to be positive.

"And if we're not, you'll get what you always wanted," Klaus added. "I mean, that's what you're saying. You're willing to lose."

"I'm willing to risk losing, yes," Rebekah admitted in a calm, confident voice.

"Well, we need to find someone for her to jump into," Klaus hissed softly. "Someone anonymous. Someone who can disappear with Hope."

"Rebekah, we've been together for centuries," Elijah whispered. "If you were human—"

Rebekah had a solution for that, too. "When I'm old and wrinkly, you can dump me back into my old body. Nik already has a coffin he can store me in."

"But to trust Kol?" Elijah's hesitance was apparent in his voice.

"It's not about trust, Elijah. It's about finding the proper leverage," Rebekah replied.

Klaus let out a soft sigh. "She's right. Kol will do what's best for Kol. We just have to meet his price."

Cassandra continued to listen as Klaus called his younger brother and explained the plan. As predicted, Kol was more than happy to help, but for a price. What she didn't understand was what he wanted to do with a giant diamond, but somehow, she had a feeling Davina was involved. She filed it away in her mind and made plans to ask him about it once she returned to New Orleans. Until then, she had more important things to focus on, like enjoying every second she had with the baby in her arms.

-o-

Cassandra carefully laid a sleeping Hope down in the Pack 'n Play crib that Rebekah had set up in one of the upstairs rooms and laid a blanket over her little body. She ran her fingertips lightly over Hope's forehead for a moment before making her way out of the room as quietly as she could. As she wandered down the darkened halls, the moonlight peaked through the trees outside, casting an eerie shadow on the walls. She stopped when she reached doorway leading to a parlor room where she found Elijah sitting in a chair next to the lit and crackling fireplace. He sat with his legs spread apart in a relaxed V-shape and his arms propped on his lap while he gazed at the dancing flames.

"She's asleep," she called out softly, prompting him to look over at her. She tapped her fingers lightly against the door frame. "It's so quiet with Klaus and Rebekah gone. So, I realized I never told you about the latest development with the wolves."

"What is it?" Elijah asked.

Cassandra took a deep breath and made her way over to the fireplace, stopping once she was beside him. She glanced at the flames for a moment before turning her head to meet his curious eyes. "I think I figured out a way to get them out from under Esther and back onto our side. Actually, the credit should really go to Klaus's father, Ansel. He's the one who told Jackson about it, and then Jackson wrote it all down in a journal. In your thousand plus years have you ever heard anything about a Werewolf Unification Ritual?"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "I have not."

"Well, the way it works is two Alpha's from separate bloodlines are married by a shaman. That's a requirement. Once they're married and they go through the ritual, anyone who participated in the ritual with them would inherit their abilities. The idea is that we keep one ring which Hayley will wear because she's the last of her bloodline, making her an automatic Alpha. She'll marry Jackson and go through the ritual, allowing Jackson and his pack to get the ring's power through her. They've all agreed to do it. They'll be stronger, able to control their turning without the rings and bring peace back to our home so Hope could return to us."

"You're certain this will work?"

"Yes. It has to. Otherwise we're back where we started because I'm the only other person that has the means to pull it off, but I don't want to marry Jackson."

"Definitely out of the question," Elijah agreed. His eyes shifted back to the flames in the fireplace.

"I mean, sure, Jackson is a good and decent man, but I don't love him and he doesn't love me. It could never, would never work," Cassandra shook her head at the notion and returned to gazing at the fire. "Jackson said it...the marriage has to be real, no, uh, stepping out, or anything like that. It's a life-long commitment to someone. That's kind of, no, that _is_ a huge deal."

"Yes," Elijah hummed. "It is. Have you ever thought about it? In a general sense."

Cassandra blinked in surprise at the question. "Getting married? I suppose I thought about it like most girls do, although I think my parents divorcing when I was young kind of made me not want to rush into it. But now that I'm immortal, it just seems like such a superfluous notion. There's no 'til death do us part'. It's a forever commitment, one I certainly don't need a ring or vows or a fancy ceremony to make to the right person. Although, I'm certain if your sister were here she'd make a pretty good argument to the contrary."

"Yes, I'm certain she would," Elijah chuckled softly.

"Speaking of your siblings," Cassandra tucked her hair behind her ear as she turned to face him. "When the three of you were inside talking earlier today while I was out on the porch feeding Hope, I stole a page out of the Mikaelson playbook and listened in." Elijah raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise. "When I heard Rebekah say you were ready to take Esther's deal, I started to panic."

"Cassandra, I never meant to—"

"Don't. I just…I need to get this out before I lose my nerve." He nodded and beckoned for her to continue. "I heard you say right after that that she'd gotten you to change your mind, I'd never felt so relieved. I'm glad you're not taking her deal because," she reached out and placed her hand on top of his as she looked him in the eyes. "I need you to be you just as you are—a strong, cunning, eloquent, charming, handsome original vampire who will protect my daughter at all costs."

Elijah gazed back at her, his parted slightly in utter amazement. He raised his free hand and placed it against the side of her face. "I would protect you at all costs, too," he whispered. He brushed her cheek lightly with his thumb, sending an unexpected flutter into her stomach.

"I know," she murmured, smiling at him. He smiled back at her, letting his hand linger on her check for another moment before bringing it back down to his side while Cassandra released his other hand and straightened herself up. "Well, I think I'm going to call it a night. I'm going on thirty-six hours without sleep."

"Sleep well. If you need anything..."

"I know where to find—" She started to shuffle past him when her foot clipped his, sending her stumbling forward straight into him and cutting off her voice. She threw her arms out to catch herself and ended up gripping Elijah's upper arms as they enclosed securely around her. Her heart pounded inside of her chest from the rush of adrenaline. She leaned her head back, fully intending to make a joke about her clumsiness, when her breath caught in her throat as she found herself mere inches from his face.

She couldn't stop herself from momentarily focusing on his lips. The desire to feel them, to taste them, was overwhelming. Unable to fight it any longer, she closed the gap between them and kissed him. Elijah's body stiffened momentarily in surprise before he began to move his lips back against hers. She slowly shifted her body until she was sitting on his lap, straddling him, and moved her hands along his arms up to his shoulders while he placed one hand on her side and the other on the back of her head.

Her lips parted, allowing his tongue into her mouth and hers into his. She could taste the faintest hint of bourbon on his breath, indicating he'd recently had a drink. With her fingers she traced the edge of his collar until they found his tie and gently prodded at the Windsor Knot until it was completely undone. She pulled the tie away from his shirt and dropped it onto the floor beside them. In one swift action, she ripped his shirt open and ran her hands up his hard, chiseled chest. When she reached his shoulders, she pushed the shirt sleeves down his arms until she had it off of him completely and dropped it on the floor where the tie lay.

As her hands gripped his toned shoulders, he moved his hand from her head down to her waist and started to push her blouse up. She raised her arms and allowed him to peal it away from her, discarding it on the floor. She tightened her arms around him, bringing their upper bodies together. Feeling his warm skin against hers sent an electrifying wave of pleasure through her. He ran his hands down the length of her thighs to her shins and lifted her legs, locking them around his waist. She held on to him as he stood and took a few steps forward to where an ottoman was and laid her down on top of it.

He pulled away from her mouth and moved his lips to her throat, then to her neck. As he nipped at her skin, he rocked his hips against hers, sending even more ripples of pleasure throughout her body. Her back arched against his feather-like touch as he kissed her all over her chest before moving down to the valley between her breasts. He lingered there for a few long moments before reconnecting with her mouth as he slid a hand under her back. He made easy work of unclasping her bra and slowly began to guide the straps down her arms when she placed her hand on top of his, stopping him.

"Wait," Cassandra gasped in a breathy whisper. Her chest jiggled up and down from her heavy breathing. "This isn't…We…we can't," she shook her head as she took a deep breath. "I can't."

Without waiting for him to respond, she reached behind her back and reclasped her bra before whooshing away from him, making sure to grab her shirt as she flew up the stairs. She didn't stop until she was inside the bathroom at the end of the hallway with the door securely locked behind her. Letting out a breath, she leaned back against the door and slowly slid down until she was sitting on the tiled floor. Hugging her knees to her chest, she hung her head and buried her face against her shirt.

 _What have I done?_ She cried silently to herself. _Why did I kiss him?'_

 _'_ _You know why'_ another voice answered in her mind.

"No," she whispered out loud.

 _Yes you do,"_ the voice argued.

Deep down, she did know. She'd been pushing it back, denying it for months, but she couldn't any longer. She had feelings for Elijah. Deep feelings.

"Oh my god," she lifted her head as she came to a startling realization. "I'm freaking Elena Gilbert, stuck in a love triangle between two brothers. She let out a sigh and rested her chin on top of her knees. _No. I'm not stuck, because at the end of the day I know who I want to be with. I just hope he'll still want to be with me after I tell him what I did. He's going to be so angry, and he has every right to be. I can't believe I kissed Elijah and almost..._ she couldn't finish the thought in her own mind. Nor did she have any clue how she was going face him again. _That's tomorrow's problem._

Knowing she couldn't stay locked in the bathroom all night, Cassandra slowly pulled herself up onto her feet and stood in front of the small sink vanity. She turned around to face the door and turned the lock to the unlocked position. She placed her hand around the doorknob and took a deep breath before pulling the door open. The hallway was empty as she expected, but when she stepped forward, she could feel a slight disturbance in the air. She inhaled through her nose and sighed softly when she was able to instantly recognize the familiar scent of Elijah's cologne. He'd been standing right outside the door, vanishing as she came out.

Not wanting to stick around, lest he return, she quickly shuffled down the hall and went into the room next to the nursery where Hope was sleeping. She closed the door behind her with a soft click and grabbed her phone from the nightstand where she'd left it to charge before flopping onto the bed. She'd chosen the room before putting Hope down and left her phone knowing she'd return later. She tapped the screen to wake it up and started scrolling through her contacts. Before she could do anything else, Klaus's name appeared on the screen. She left out a soft breath as she tapped the answer button and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hey," she murmured.

"Hello, love. How's our littlest wolf doing?" Klaus asked in a soft, sweet voice.

"She's fast asleep. I still can't get over how big she is."

"Yes, well, babies do tend to do that."

"I know. I just…I wish we could have been there to see it happen."

"I know. Believe me, I know. What matters most is the time we have now."

"Yeah," Cassandra nodded her head. "So, how did everything go? Did it work?"

She was referring to the plan to stop Esther from putting Rebekah into Cami's body. Kol had picked out someone else for Rebekah, and he and Davina were supposed to cast a counter spell at the same time Esther cast hers.

"Yes. The plan went off without a hitch. Cami is still safely in her own body. We are still waiting for Rebekah to make contact from her new body, but we have her original body safe and sound in the compound. And lastly, you will be pleased to know Esther will no longer be a problem for us. She currently resides in a cozy little tomb where I've left her with a couple of blood bags while she contemplates whether to die or complete her transition into the thing she hates most in this world."

"Oh my god!" Cassandra sat up. "She's…how?"

Klaus let out a smug chuckle. "Rebekah and I both knew we had to be two steps ahead of her. So when Rebekah went to meet her with Kol and accept her offer, Kol distracted Esther long enough for Rebekah to put a few drops of her blood in her glass of wine. She died with Rebekah's blood in her system. And yes, before you ask, I was the one that killed her."

"I wasn't going to, but okay. Wow. Talk about getting a taste of your own medicine."

"Exactly. There is something else you should know. Esther revealed that she had teamed up with Mikael."

Cassandra let out a soft breath. "Which means he's lurking around nearby. You really need to find him and kill him. Again."

"Oh, he's doing a little more than that. I had Finn locked in his coffin and, thanks to Esther, Mikael came and freed him," Klaus told her. "He threatened to kill Cami, so I'll be bringing her to the safe house tomorrow. Then, you and I will head back to New Orleans to deal with Finn."

"Wait…he did what? You're bringing her here? But she'll find out about—"

"Yes."

"And you're actually okay with that? You're okay with her knowing our biggest secret?"

"Yes. I trust her as much as you do, and I think you've waited long enough to tell her."

Cassandra's lips curled into a smile. She couldn't for Cami to meet her daughter. "Yes. I have. What time do you think you'll get here?"

"Sometime in the morning. We're leaving in a few hours after I've had a chance to get a little sleep."

"Mmm, sleep actually sounds really good right about now. We've been up for a day and a half straight, you know."

"I'm well aware of that," Klaus chuckled. "Which is why I'm going to let you go now. I will see you in the morning."

"Alright. Sleep well."

"You too, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you, too."

As she lowered the phone to her lap once they'd hung up, her eyes began to well with tears. Even though she meant the words, the guilt of kissing his brother weighed down on her like a ten-pound brick. She placed her phone on the nearby nightstand and curled up into the fetal position as stray tears trickled down her cheeks. While she waited for sleep to come, she silently prayed that he would still love her after learning of the horrible thing she'd done.


	33. Tell Me No Lies

**I cannot begin to tell you guys how sorry I am for taking so long to update. Thank you so, so much for being patient with me. After the last chapter, I realized there were parts in upcoming chapters that needed major tweaking to be more consistent with the direction of the story and I wanted to deal with them before resuming normal writing and editing. It took a lot longer than I anticipated, but I'm back now. Your reactions to the major event in the previous chapter were everything I could have asked for and more. You all pretty much had the same question at the end of the day** — **how is Klaus going to react? Well, you are absolutely going to find that out in this chapter. A lot of you also wanted more of Hope, and I am pleased to tell you that there's more of her right off the bat. And there will be lots more in future chapters, too. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter and I promise not to take this long next time! Happy reading!**

* * *

 **Chapter 33 - Tell Me No Lies**

"Oh, come here baby girl," Cassandra murmured as she scooped Hope up off the bed the next morning and into her arms. She'd just finished changing her diaper and dressing her in an adorable white, crocheted, long sleeve dress. She wasn't yet dressed herself, nor was she ready to head down stairs where Elijah most likely was. She wanted Hope all to herself for a while longer.

She bounced Hope gently in her lap while her eyes traveled around the room until they landed on her phone. Her lips curled into a grin as an idea popped in to her mind.

"Should we see if your Aunt Caroline is up? I know she'd love to meet you," Cassandra gazed down at her daughter. "Let's do it."

She reached over for her phone and quickly pulled up Caroline's number, tapping the video call option with her finger. She held the phone up and waited for Caroline to answer. After a dozen rings, the video call disconnected. Frowning, Cassandra tapped Caroline's number and called her the normal way. Her phone rang four times before going to voicemail.

"Okay, let's try your grandma," Cassandra smiled at Hope as she dialed her mom's number. Her voicemail came on after four rings. "Eh, I'm not surprised she didn't answer. She's working right now. Well, maybe Tyler will answer."

No such luck. Her call went to his voice mail, too. Hanging her head, Cassandra admitted defeat and set her phone down on the bed. Clearly, she wasn't meant to introduce her daughter to the rest of her family just yet. Shrugging it off, she carefully propped Hope up against some pillows and walked over to the closet to find something to wear. She took a deep breath as she reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open.

"Oh wow," she blinked in surprise at the articles of clothing that were hung up on the built-in rack. She reached for a pair of dark blue jeans and peaked at the tag for their size. "Thank you, Rebekah!" She grinned at seeing they were her size. She quickly put them on and fingered through the tops before deciding on a black, three-quarter length knit top and tugged it off the hanger it was on. She shut the closet door and walked back towards the bed, her eyes immediately landing on her daughter who was holding her phone between her tiny hands with a corner of the device in her mouth.

"Hope, you silly girl," Cassandra shook her head, laughing softly. She changed into the black top and quickly folded the clothes she'd slept in. As she placed them on top of the dresser, she paused and looked around. She thought she'd heard something, a faint voice, but she had no idea where it was coming from. It was fleeting, and when she didn't hear it again after a couple of seconds she shrugged it off. When she turned around, she heard again. This time, her eyes zeroed in on Hope who was still holding onto her phone. What struck her the most was the fact that the screen was on.

"Oh my gosh," she gasped and scurried over. She carefully pulled the phone out of Hope's little hands and wiped it off on her leg before holding it up to see the screen. As she suspected, Hope had accidently dialed someone.

"Hayley?" Cassandra let out a breath as she sat down on the bed beside Hope.

"Oh! There you are," Hayley sighed in relief.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I must have accidently bumped my phone and called you."

"No worries. It happens."

"Mmm. So, how's it going? You and Jackson set a date yet?" Cassandra smiled at Hope as she slipped her finger into her tiny hand. Hope gripped it tightly and smiled back at her.

"We're working on it. It'll be soon, though." Hayley answered. "We're waiting on Aiden to finish gathering up all of the rings so we can destroy all but one of them, and then I guess we have to find a shaman."

"Don't suppose you could google where to find one," Cassandra chuckled.

"I wish," Hayley laughed. "Jackson's working on it though."

"Well, if anyone can find a shaman, it's him."

Cassandra gazed down at Hope and lightly jiggled her hand. Hope continued to grin and let out a loud, squeaky laugh. Her eyes widened, and, in a flash, she pulled her hand out of Hope's grasp and placed it gently on top of Hope's mouth. _Please oh please let Hayley not have heard that!_

"What was that?" Hayley asked, making Cassandra groan inwardly.

"Nothing. Just...uh…the TV," Cassandra answered with the first thing she could think of.

"Oh, okay," Hayley accepted the answer. Cassandra let out a sigh of relief, though the feeling was short lived as Hope made another loud cooing noise. "Okay, that sounded an awful lot like a baby. What are you watching?"

"Just some random show." _Please let her buy it and stop asking questions!_

"Oh. Okay."

Cassandra let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Hayley believed her reasonable explanation. _Wow, that was close._ She'd barely had time to process the fleeting thought when Hope decided she didn't want her mouth covered any longer and began to cry. Cassandra's eyes widened in a panic. She dropped her hand to her lap which seemed to appease her daughter who almost instantly quieted, but the damage had been done.

"Okay, either you have the tv volume up to the max or that baby is actually in the room with you," Hayley surmised.

"Hayley—" Cassandra wracked her brain for another excuse and came up dry.

"But why you'd have an actual baby with you wherever it is you are right now is…" Hayley continued on until she'd figured out the truth. "Oh my god! But how—?"

"You can't tell anyone," Cassandra sighed in defeat. "Not even Jackson. As far as the world is concerned, my baby died the day she was born, and for now that's what the world must go on believing.:

"Oh wow. This is so huge. Okay, I promise, your secret is safe with me," Hayley gushed.

Cassandra took a deep breath and let it back out. "Good. Her life depends on it. Yours does now, too. If Klaus finds out that you know, he'll kill you."

"I swear, I won't tell anyone. I promise, Cassandra."

"Thank you, Hayley."

They spoke for a little longer before hanging up. Cassandra let out a sigh as she slipped her phone into her pocket. Knowing she couldn't put it off any longer, she carefully lifted Hope into her arms and headed downstairs to make her a bottle.

When she entered the kitchen, she found Elijah standing in front of the island counter whisking eggs in a big bowl. She wasn't surprised to see him wearing a crisp white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a black tie, and black suit pants. Her eyes traveled from him to the counter where she spotted two washed and ready-to-use baby bottles placed next to the space he was using to cook. She shifted Hope to her right hip and began to walk around him to get to the bottles. He glanced up at her as she passed by him, meeting her eyes for a fleeting moment. She stopped once she'd made it around him and reached for an empty bottle and lid with her free left hand. As she was bringing her arm back, it brushed up against the outside of Elijah's arm. The contact startled her and caused her to flinch which made her drop the lid she held between two fingers. It hit the edge of the counter and bounced toward the floor, but Elijah was quick to catch it with his vampire reflexes and handed it back to her.

"Thanks," she murmured softly.

"You're welcome," he murmured back. He gazed at her for a moment, making her wonder if he was going to say anything else, but instead he leaned in and pressed his lips lightly against the top of Hope's head. He brushed his fingers against the side of her head before turning back to the breakfast he was preparing.

Cassandra quickly prepared a bottle for Hope and held it under hot water to get the chill out of it. It was a little trick she remembered her mom telling her a long, long time ago. She smiled to herself at finally being able to put it to use with her own child. Once the bottle was ready, she made herself comfortable in one of the chairs at the dining table and lowered the bottle to Hope who eagerly took to it.

"Coffee?" Elijah seemed to appear beside her out of nowhere with a steaming mug in his hand.

"Oh, uh, sure. Thank you," she nodded. He set it down in front of her, then went back over to the counter. Keeping one hand on the bottle to help hold it up for Hope, she reached with her free hand for the mug handle and brought it up to her lips to take a slow sip. She shouldn't have been surprised that it was exactly how she liked it with the right ratios of cream and sugar, yet she was. _Of course he knows how I like my coffee. We've been living under the same roof for over a year now. Ugh, why is he being so nice? Probably trying to butter me up so we can talk about last night._

Almost on cue, as if he'd read her mind, he walked back over to the table carrying two plates in his hands. He set one down in front of her and put the other directly across from where she sat. She couldn't deny how delicious the omelets he'd made looked and felt her stomach growl in agreement. He returned to the kitchen to get two forks and handed her one before taking his seat. She didn't hesitate to dig in, wanting to get in a couple of bites while Hope was still taking her bottle. She couldn't stop herself from sighing contently as she swallowed. She continued to gaze down at her daughter while she ate another bite and sipped her coffee.

"I was wondering if we might discuss what happened last night," Elijah spoke in a gentle voice.

Cassandra winced and sighed as she slowly met his eyes. "You really want to do this right now?"

"Is there a better time for us to talk about it?" He raised his eyebrows slightly.

"No, I guess not," she paused long enough to cast a quick glance down at Hope who was halfway done with her bottle. "What do you want me to say, Elijah? Obviously, it was a mistake. And I know we can't just pretend it never happened. Or think that things can go back to the way they were before."

"No, we can't," Elijah agreed. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I don't know," Cassandra whispered. Hope chose that moment to be done with her bottle, so Cassandra set on the table and raised her to a sitting position on her lap. She began to gently pat her back to burp her. "I love your brother and I hope he'll forgive me for what happened after I tell him, even though I know as well as you do that he doesn't forgive easily. I just..." She bit her lip. "I can't deny having feelings for you anymore." She cautiously glanced up at him and could tell he was trying not to smile.

"No, he does not. But I should think, knowing how deeply he cares for you, that he would—ah," he turned his head toward the front of the house. "Niklaus and Camille are here. I suppose we'll have to continue this conversation at a later date."

Sure enough, Cassandra turned hear head to listen and could make out the familiar sound of Klaus's SUV pulling into the driveway. Grateful for the sudden end of their conversation, Cassandra quickly shoved the rest of her omelet into her mouth and took big gulp of coffee before turning Hope around and holding her against her chest so she could stand. She listened to the sound of Klaus and Cami's voices as she headed into the living room to retrieve the fuzzy, pink blanket from the playpen.

"But, right now I'm a little more worried about Finn considering I totally stabbed him in the back," she heard Cami say, followed by the sound of a car door being shut.

"He won't find you here," Klaus told her in a soft, reassuring voice. "This is the safest place you could possibly be. Come on. There's someone I want you to meet. I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family, the little troublemaker all the fuss has been about."

Cassandra tucked the blanket around Hope and walked to the front door. On Klaus's cue, she shifted Hope to her right hip and opened the front door, beaming as she stepped outside to meet them.

"Oh my god," Cami eyes widened in bewilderment as Cassandra carefully walked out onto the front porch with Hope. "But I...you said...I thought she was—"

"The only way to truly protect her was to convince the world of her death," Klaus smiled at Cassandra and Hope for a moment before turning back to Cami. "I hope you understand. Once it's safe for you to leave here, our secret cannot leave with you."

Cami smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically. She stepped past him and went up the stairs to greet Cassandra.

"Please know, I desperately wanted to tell you but..." Cassandra murmured as she gave her a one-armed hug.

"I completely understand," Cami hugged her back and took Hope's tiny hand into her own. "Oh, she's perfect," she gushed.

Once they were inside, Cassandra handed Hope off to Klaus and headed back upstairs to grab her jacket from the day before and make sure she hadn't left a mess behind. When she came back downstairs she found Hope in her playpen. She ran a hand over the top of her head while she listened to the conversation between Klaus, Cami, and Elijah in the other room. Klaus made a comment about how Elijah needed to stay at the safe house and, as she would put it, kick back. Elijah didn't like being treated with kid gloves, but agreed to stay behind with Cami and Hope. Eventually they would be joined by Rebekah in her new body. When Klaus announced it was time to go, she leaned down and brushed her lips against Hope's head, then walked over to meet him by the front door. They walked in silence to the car and climbed inside. Klaus started the ignition and slowly backed out of the driveway.

Cassandra rested her hands in her lap and gazed out of the window as they drove down the dirt road toward the highway. Neither she or Klaus spoke much at first, the soft music from the radio filling the silence. She stared out of the window, trying desperately to come up with a way to start the conversation she knew she needed to have with him. She became so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice when he'd begun speaking to her. It wasn't until he said her name more forcefully that he gained her attention.

"Huh?" she blinked and shook her head as she turned toward him "Sorry. I was just—"

"It's alright, love," Klaus murmured and reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I miss her, too. You'll see her again soon, I promise."

"No. I-I mean, yes, of course, I miss her, but that's not…" She let out a soft sigh. She knew what she had to do now. "I have to tell you something, and it's going to upset you. I did something, something that you will have every right to be angry about, and I just...I screwed up, and I know it's going to hurt you deeply and I'll never be able to stop telling you how sorry I am."

"What did you do?" he glanced over at her, his eyes narrow slits and his jaw rigid and tense.

Cassandra looked down at her lap and took a deep breath. It was no or never. "I kissed Elijah. We made out and almost, um, we almost..." She couldn't bring herself to say the rest, but it didn't matter. Klaus easily figured out what she was getting at.

The SUV squealed as he slammed on the breaks and brought the vehicle to a sudden stop in the middle of road. The momentum made Cassandra's body lurch forward against the seatbelt, then shifted backward against the seat again. Klaus yanked his hand away from her and stared at her with shock written all over his face. He steered the SUV over to the side of the road and shut off the engine before turning his head in her direction.

"When?" He uttered in a low voice.

"Last night," she whispered. "It just…happened and I—" She stopped abruptly as Klaus ripped his seatbelt off and climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind him. Cassandra quickly followed after him. "Klaus, wait. Please just let me—"

She blinked and he was gone, vanishing into the trees along the highway. She covered her mouth with her hand to stop a sob from escaping and turned around to get back into the car. She knew she'd never find him if she went looking for him. She climbed back into the passenger seat and buried her face in her hands as tears spilled down her cheeks. She knew she deserved every ounce of guilt and agony she was experiencing.

Eventually, the tears slowed to a stop. She wiped her puffy eyes with the edge of her shirt sleeve and pulled out her cell phone. She pulled up Caroline's phone number again and dialed it, but her sister didn't answer. This time she left a message.

"H-Hey Care," she tried her best not to sound like she'd been crying, though she knew Caroline would probably still be able to tell anyway. "I was hoping to get to talk to you, but I guess you're having a busy day. Klaus and I had a horrible fight. Before you go jumping to conclusions, it's entirely my fault. I screwed up and really hurt him. Anyway, I just…I really wanted to talk to you. Call when you can. I'll explain the rest then. Talk to you soon. I hope. Love you."

She pulled her phone away from her ear and ended the call with a heavy sigh. As she was slipping it back into her pocket, the driver's side door opened. Klaus slid into the driver's seat and shut the door, but he made no move to start the car.

"Do you love him?" He asked in a low voice.

"W-what?" Cassandra squeaked and looked over at him, caught completely off guard by his question.

"Do. You. Love. Elijah?" His voice was louder and sharper.

"Not like I love you," she whispered. "I'll admit I have feelings for him, but I love _you_ , Klaus." She paused and took a huge chance by reaching for his hand and clasping it in her own. "I want to be with you."

He didn't say anything. Instead, his eyes flickered down onto their clasped hands.

"It's not enough anymore, is it?" Cassandra realized. She felt a lump form in her throat and swallowed slowly. "

Klaus let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know. You and Elijah both betrayed me. I don't know how I'm supposed to trust either one of you anymore." He pulled his hand away and reached for the key in the ignition, turning it to start the engine. "Right now, my top priority is returning to the city to deal with Finn. Once we've taken care of him, we can figure out where we go from here."

Cassandra nodded silently and stared at the road in front of them as Klaus put the SUV into gear and began guiding the car back onto the highway. Neither spoke for the remainder of the journey. Every now and then she would glance over at him. He remained completely focused on the road as he gripped the steering wheel tightly with his hands. She could tell just from looking at him how angry and hurt he was. She desperately wanted to hold his hand again, but she refrained, keeping her hands on her own lap while she stared out of the window and fought back more tears. She would have to patient with him and do whatever it took to earn both his forgiveness and his trust back.

When they arrived at the compound, Cassandra silently made her way through the courtyard and up the stairs to the second floor while Klaus went straight to the bar. As she was walking down the hall, her eyes absentmindedly glossed over the open doorways. She was a yard away from her and Klaus's room when she backpedaled to the last room she'd passed and stopped in the doorway.

"Kol? You're living here now?" She stared at the youngest Mikaelson wide-eyed as he placed some folded shirts into one of the dresser drawers and closed it before turning to face her with a giant grin on his face.

"I am," he nodded. "It was the least Nik could do after I helped save your friend Cami. I'm a little surprised he didn't tell you."

"No, he didn't," Cassandra sighed. She figured it must have escaped his mind after the big fight they'd had. While a heads up about the new arrangement would have been nice, she knew she couldn't blame Klaus for forgetting to mention it after her confession and the massive fight it resulted in. "Well, now that you're moving in, I'm going to have to make a list of rules that you _will_ follow, like knocking and waiting to be told you can come in to a given room for instance."

"Whatever you say, darling," he flashed her another cheeky grin.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head as she turned around and continued down the hall, leaving him to his unpacking. Instead of heading into the bedroom, she changed course and went into the parlor. She blinked in surprise when her eyes landed on Hayley and Jackson sitting in the chairs out on the small balcony overlooking Royal Street.

"Hey," she walked up to them. "What are you guys doing here?" She noticed the journal Jackson was holding and raised her eyebrows curiously. "Ansel's journal?"

"Yeah. I was reading up on exactly what Hayley and I will have to do for the ceremony to work. There are trials we'll have to endure and devotion rituals to perform."

"Sounds...intense," Cassandra murmured, grateful she wasn't the one having to go through it.

"It's nothing we can't handle," he smiled at Hayley. She smiled back at him before meeting Cassandra's eyes.

"The other reason we're here is because the Crescents wanted to hold a meeting," Hayley explained.

"A meeting? With who? And where..." Cassandra trailed off and turned hear head toward the courtyard at the sound of the gate opening. "Oh."

"They're here?" Hayley grinned and stood up. Cassandra nodded. She and Jackson followed Hayley over to the balcony overlooking the courtyard where they watched as the wolves came inside. "Aiden rounded up the most influential wolves so they could talk."

"About what?" Cassandra asked.

Hayley nodded toward the street entrance. "About them."

They watched as Marcel came in leading a group of vampires. They stopped in the middle of the courtyard while the wolves, led by a dark-skinned man named Jerick, met them halfway. Marcel held a hand up to keep his vampires at bay while he stared Jerick down. Cassandra, Hayley, and Jackson quickly made their way downstairs and ushered the group over to a long table. Everyone crowded around one side of it while Hayley took her place in the middle to address everyone. Cassandra and Jackson stood beside Aiden.

"You wolves are here because you want freedom. And I promise you, if you stay you will be free," Hayley spoke in a calm, authoritative voice to the wolves. "But we need as much help as we can get." She turned to Marcel.

"My vamps and I are willing to stand against the witches," Marcel told the Crescents. "In return, all I want is a promise that there'll be peace between our sides after the wedding."

Jerick scoffed and shook his head. "You're the one who spent the last one hundred years killing and cursing us."

"Which means you might wanna listen to what I have to say," Marcel told him.

"So you're brokering a truce?" The voice of Vincent/Finn rang out as he walked around the group and came to a stop in front of the unoccupied side of the table. Cassandra's body immediately stiffened at his presence. "Between mongrels and parasites. And just how long do you really think that's gonna last? A month? A week? A day?" He slowly began to walk backwards towards the corridor that led to the street. "What you don't yet seem to understand is that the only thing that can exist between your two degenerate species is hatred, war, and death." He held up three fingers as he listed them off. When he reached gate, he brought his thumb and index finger together, blew on them, and pressed them against the wall just before the gate itself.

There was a loud, thunderous crack. The entire compound rattled and shook like there had been an earthquake. It lasted for a couple of seconds, and then it was over. Everyone knew it had to be the result of some spell and glared at Finn as his lips curled into a smirk. Gia vamp-sped to the gate in an attempt to attack him, but she was stopped by an invisible barrier that burned her hand like the sun would if she wasn't wearing a daylight ring. She let out a yell as she stumbled backwards and stared at her hand. Marcel took a few steps toward her to see what had happened.

"But I imagine," Finn continued, "Given a little time confined together you'll come to see things the way I do."

Cassandra wanted to yell after him as he walked away that no way would that ever happen, but she bit her tongue and remained silent. Once he was gone, everyone started talking all at once about what had just happened. Marcel immediately took control of the situation and settled everyone down. He assigned Josh and Aiden the task of checking all of the ways in and out of the compound in case Finn missed one with his spell. Everyone else dispersed and made themselves comfortable, snagging tables and chairs to group around.

Cassandra stood off to the side, observing the scene before her. Her attention was drawn to Marcel as he headed through the double doors into the dining room, with Gia following right behind him. When Gia shut the doors, Cassandra's curiosity was peaked. She listened to the two of them talk. Gia was annoyed with Jerick's attitude, but Marcel was less than impressed with hers and told her to knock it off.

"Don't underestimate those wolves," Marcel told her. "You're new, but they have a long list of reasons to hate us."

"Sorry. You're right," Gia murmured with a light sigh.

When Marcel went on to ask Gia to look after their vampire crew and Gia started to walk towards the doors to come back into the courtyard, Cassandra decided to find out what she could do to help so at least she'd be doing something instead of standing around. She gave Gia a slight nod as they passed through the doorway.

"So," she closed the door behind her once Gia was gone. "Got any ideas on how to keep this under control?"

Marcel had been looking in a wooden crate he'd just pulled the lid off of and looked up at her. "What people in New Orleans have always done when trapped in close quarters with mortal enemies," he smiled at her as he pulled a bottle of bourbon from inside the crate. "Drink and hopefully blow off a little steam."

He tossed the bottle at her with vampire strength. Cassandra reached out and caught it effortlessly with one hand. She gazed at the label for a second then twisted the cap off before bringing the bottle up to her lips for a drink.

"Mmm," she licked her lips as she put the cap back on the bottle. "Considering the day I've had, a drink and blowing off a little steam is exactly what I need. Thanks, Marcel."

"Anytime," He smiled and pulled out another bottle to open.

Cassandra made her way out of the dining room and headed up to the second floor to observe the courtyard from a higher vantage point. While she sipped from the bottle of bourbon, she watched the group below, partaking in their own drinks. She smiled when she saw Gia approach Jerick and hand him one of the bottles of bourbon.

A little while later, her eyes were drawn to the corridor leading out to the street as Davina appeared and walked up to the invisible barrier. Kol approached her and, after some friendly greetings, they both held up their hands palms facing out so they were nearly touching and began whispering an incantation. Cassandra quickly downed the rest of her bottle of bourbon and made her way downstairs to watch with everyone else. The entire courtyard fell silent as everyone's attention fell on the two witches. The silence was short lived, as Davina gasped in surprise when a magical force pushed her and Kol backwards.

"What just happened?" Davina asked.

"I assume that means we're all free to go," Klaus emerged from the crowd and walked towards them.

"No," Kol kept his eyes on the invisible barrier. "The spell is locking us out." He met Davina's worried eyes.

"Vincent must be channeling something," Davina murmured. "A dark object, maybe."

The room erupted in quiet whispers as everyone began speculating what this news might mean. Cassandra walked over to Klaus to speak to him, but before she could get a word out his cell phone began to ring. He took it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Cassandra could tell from the momentary flicker of rage in his eyes who the call her was—Elijah.

"Why, if it isn't my backstabbing, cheating old brother," Klaus met her eyes as he spoke into the phone, then whooshed away to take the call in private before she could overhear anymore of it.

Cassandra sighed and wandered over to where Hayley and Jackson were. Jackson held a half empty bottle of bourbon in his hand and gave her a friendly nod. "How's—" She stopped when she saw Josh rushing down the stairs in a hurry and beeline it into the dining room where Marcel and Gia had gone shortly before. Curious, Cassandra stood up and started to walk to the room to find out was going on and froze when all of the vampires in the courtyard began doubling over in pain. She had enough sense to know Finn was somehow responsible for whatever was happening and whooshed upstairs to alert Klaus. Less than a minute later they both reappeared in the courtyard and went into the dining room.

"Your vampires seem to think it's lunchtime," Klaus pushed the double doors open as he spoke in an annoyed voice. Cassandra saw alarm flash on his face as he looked from Marcel to Gia to Josh, both of whom were doubled over, panting for breath. "What is it?"

"They're not the only ones who are hungry," Marcel was referring to Gia and Josh. He stood straighter once he'd regained his bearings. "It's all of us."

"Yeah, like super-sized hungry," Josh was leaning over the table and lifted his head up as he spoke. He slowly looked over his shoulder at them as he continued. "And there's an all-you-can-eat werewolf buffet through those doors."

"Oh my god," Cassandra whispered and spun around to stare at the unsuspecting Crescents hanging out in the courtyard. "Wait," Cassandra turned to Klaus. "I don't feel any different. Is being a hybrid causing a delay for us? Or are we not affected at all?"

"I don't know," Klaus murmured. "And I do not wish to find out. You three keep an eye on everyone while I give my big brother Finn a call."

Cassandra nodded and watched as he left the dining room. She exchanged glances with Marcel, Gia, and Josh, then made her way out into the courtyard over to Jackson and Hayley. She quickly filled them in on what was going on so they could help keep an eye on things. In a matter of minutes, the air around the courtyard grew quiet and tense. Everyone was on edge. The vampires and werewolves quickly segregated themselves on opposite sides of the room. Some sat around in chairs while others paced around restlessly. One of the pacing vampires wasn't closely watching where he was wandering and walked straight into Jerick.

"Watch it!" Jerick threw his hands in the air with a growl. The vampire spun around and got in his face.

"Hey!" Gia jumped to her feet with a yell and rushed towards them.

Jackson quickly joined her. "Break it up," he grabbed Jerick by the arm to pull him away.

"Back off," Gia ordered the vampire as she pushed him backwards, away from Jerick. She led him away to the rest of the vampire crew.

Cassandra took in the entire scene and let out a heavy sigh. She glanced over at the dining room where Marcel and Klaus were talking to Kol about another spell he and Davina could cast. It would temporarily neutralize all magical objects in the compound, including the compound itself. If it worked, everyone would have sixty seconds to escape while the boundary from Finn's spell is shut down. The only drawback to that was that the daylight rings the vampires were all wearing would temporarily be disabled, meaning they would burn in the sunlight. They could wait until nightfall, but Marcel didn't think his newbie vampires would last that long. Cassandra couldn't help but agree with him.

 _The vampires can't leave,_ she realized. She whooshed into the dining room and stopped beside Klaus. "Marcel is right. We can't wait. The spell needs to happen as soon as possible. The werewolves will leave, the vampires will stay. That should buy us some time to figure out how Vincent…Finn…is channeling his extra power and, well, stop it."

"Do it," Klaus told Kol. He nodded and immediately left to find Davina.

Almost on cue, voices in the courtyard grew louder as a fight between Jerick and one of the vampires broke out. Aiden yelled out at them to stop and attempted to grab Jerick's shoulder to pull him back. Jerick had a broken chair leg in his hand and swiped at Aiden's arm with it, cutting him. The smell of his blood stirred the vampires into a frenzy. Two vampires rushed him and pinned him to the ground. Marcel couldn't take it any longer and rushed out to the courtyard to help. Josh ran to Aiden's side and snapped the neck of one of the vampires holding him down, then pulled the second away and shoved him toward Marcel who'd arrived to hold him back.

Josh slowly turned back around to face Aiden and found himself unable to keep his eyes off his bloody arm. Cassandra watched in horror as Josh's vampire face appeared, the hunger inside of him growing too strong to overcome. She and Klaus both reacted at the same time, whooshing over to Josh's side to stop him.

"Joshua," Klaus stood directly in front of him and placed a gentle hand on the center of his chest. "You get away from him right now," he ordered. It was enough to snap Josh out if it and back to focus.

Cassandra positioned herself beside Klaus and flashed her amber-yellow hybrid eyes at any vampires who dared get close. When one of the vampires tried, Jackson was quick to snap his neck.

"Davina!" Marcel yelled over to the gate where she and Kol were preparing their spell as he fought to keep a tight hold on Jerick. "Start the spell!"

Kol and Davina quickly lit a series of small candles and placed them in the middle of the circle where they were both already kneeling. They quickly stood up and faced each other, holding their palms up, and began to chant together in soft whispers. The fighting died down, allowing Marcel to finally release Jerick. Cassandra offered Aiden a hand and helped him onto his feet. He murmured a thank you and walked over to Jackson. They quickly ushered the werewolves over toward the gate while the vampires rushed into the shadows so they wouldn't be burned by the sun once the spell was complete.

A big gust of wind blew through the courtyard, extinguishing the candles. Kol and Davina stopped their chanting and lowered their hands. Davina looked around and then bravely reached out to touch Kol's hand.

"Davina!" Kol cried out in alarm, afraid she would get burned by the barrier. She refused to stop and kept going until her hand touched his. She smiled proudly at him.

"Okay, Jackson. Now!" Cassandra waved the pack forward.

"Come on, let's go," Jackson moved beside her, allowing the pack to run outside.

"Remember, sixty seconds," Kol called out as the wolves ran past him. That was how of a window they had before the barrier went back up.

Cassandra waited until all of the wolves had left before leaving herself. As she started to walk towards the gate, Klaus whooshed forward and grabbed Kol by the shoulder, stopping him from leaving with Davina.

"Slight change of plans, brother," Klaus sent him flying backwards into the middle of the courtyard. He landed on the ground with a loud groan. "I no longer have to treat you like anything, but the treacherous liar you truly are."

"What...hey!" Cassandra whooshed to Klaus's side. "What's going on?" She glanced back and forth from Klaus to Kol.

"What the bloody hell!" Kol gasped as he slowly sat up sporting a huge bleeding gash on his forehead.

"Where is she?" Klaus glared at his brother.

"Where is who?" Cassandra looked at Klaus in confusion. When he remained silent, she turned back toward Kol and found him looking over his shoulder at the vampires cowering in the shadows. They stared hungrily at the blood oozing from the gash on forehead. Davina, having glanced from Kol to the vampires, immediately realized what was going on.

"Please! They'll kill him," Davina pleaded with Klaus.

"Well," Klaus furrowed his eyebrows, "he should have thought about that before he betrayed our sister."

"Kol did what?" Cassandra blinked in surprise. She could feel her heart starting to race as a panic began to build inside of her.

"Rebekah never made it to her new body, did she?" Klaus continued as Kol slowly stood back up. "And, seeing as you cast the spell, and, well, you're you, I'd hardly call it an uncrackable case."

"Kol!" Cassandra hissed, clenching her hands into tight fists at her sides. "How could you?"

"Rebekah's fine, I swear," Kol tried to reassure her as he started walking over to them. "It was a prank, nothing more than anything my siblings have done to me but—"

"A prank? A PRANK?" Cassandra growled at him. "You put her in a different body than the one you told us? All for stupid revenge? Damn it, Kol! We need her!" She was furious with him. Without thinking, she started to whoosh forward toward him, but Klaus was just as fast as she was to grab her and hold her back, gripping her arms tightly with his hands. She glared at him but didn't struggle against his steel hold on her.

"Oh, sure," Kol marched toward them. "I guess it's different when it's one of—AH!" He cried out when his hand hit the barrier that had gone back up and began to burn.

"Oh. Barrier's back up," Klaus mused, raising his eyebrows as he let go of Cassandra. The  
vampires realized their daylight rings were working again and began to make their way back out to the center of the courtyard, their eyes all fixed on Kol. Klaus didn't miss a beat. "And those vampires look oh-so-hungry. I was willing to welcome you back into our home, but you had to return to your petty, selfish jealousies." Kol started to slowly back up, prompting Klaus to raise his voice. "Well, let's see how well they help you survive when you're stuck in there!"

He turned around and made his way down the corridor to the street. Cassandra glared at Kol for one last moment before following after Klaus. She kept her hands in tight fists against her sides as she walked, her anger towards Kol for what he'd done to Rebekah festering inside of her. _How could he do this to her? We need her to continue taking care of Hope. And of course I can't tell him that because it's a big fat secret. Damn it, this whole situation sucks!_ Eventually, she caught up to him and into step beside him.

"I'll find Rebekah, I promise you," he murmured, keeping his gaze forward. "We still have Elijah to keep our secret safe."

"I know we do." Cassandra exhaled sharply and nodded her head. "So what do we do now?"

"Now," he pulled out his phone. "I need to call Elijah. Follow me."

He led the way to a crypt in Lafayette Cemetary. Cassandra recognized it instantly as the same crypt she'd rescued Oliver from shortly before he'd died from a witch's curse. She gazed around at the cold, dirty space as Klaus spoke to his older brother on the phone.

"I need you to trust me," Klaus murmured in a soft voice. "I can handle finding Rebekah."

"Brother, you are asking me to do nothing," Elijah hissed back in a low voice.

"Elijah, right now the most important thing is that you are there protecting Hope," Klaus told him.

"So be it," Elijah surrendered and accepted the task without hesitation. "I shall remain here with the hopelessly courageous Camille. She certainly has charisma. Even if she does lack stealth."

Cassandra swallowed a chuckle that rose in her throat as she imagined Cami trying to sneak up on Elijah. She knew all too well how impossible that was. Still, she was going to have to remember to get more details from Cami later on whatever went on between her and Elijah. A fleeting thought entered her mind, and before she could talk herself out of it, she pulled out her phone and began composing a quick message. _Thank you for agreeing to stay put and take care of Hope for us. I know you'd rather be out here with us, but you're all we've got left to keep her safe._ She hit send as Klaus ended his phone call and slipped her phone into her pocket. As they left Lafayette Cemetary she felt her phone buzz in her pocket and pulled it out to find a new message from Elijah waiting for her. _As I said before, I will always protect her. Plus, your friend Camille is proving to be quite insightful in regards to my...well, let's just call it Vampire PTSD._

Cassandra let out a relieved sigh and slipped her phone back into her pocket again. She was glad he was opening up to Cami about the side effects of what Esther had done to him. If anyone could help him work through it, Cami could.

It didn't take the pair of hybrids long to reach Saint Roch No1 Cemetary where Klaus had hidden Esther away. When they reached Delphine Tomb where he'd put her, they both let out a sigh as their eyes landed on a giant hole in the side of the tomb wall. Someone had broken through the solid brick to get inside.

"Finn," Klaus told her as they approached the hole to look inside.

They were looking around when they both spotted the empty blood bag on the ground at the same time. "She completed her transition," Cassandra whispered.

"Yes," Klaus nodded with a heavy sigh. "And now it appears she's on the loose."


	34. A Lesson In Forgiveness

**Hey everyone. Wow, I can't believe this story is eight reviews shy of 400! It has surpassed my wildest dreams and expectations, and hey, we are only just nearing the halfway point. I am so grateful to all of you who continue to read this and leave me comments, from the short 'Love it update soon' to the more lengthy ones. I love and appreciate every single of of them. I'm pretty excited about this chapter. I think the title is quite telling about what to expect. A few of you asked about Kol finding out about what went on between Cassandra and Elijah and his reaction to this. You'll get that answer in this chapter as well. And finally, the big question of whether or not Klaus will forgive Cassandra for what she did will also be addressed, so pay attention for that.**

 **I see the questions about future canon events and I want you to know how badly I want to answer them, but I won't be because I don't want to give anything away. Just know that I do see them and you will get your answers eventually. Patience, my dears. All shall be revealed in due course. With that, I leave you to your reading. I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful holiday with your families and/or loved ones. Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukka! And if I don't update again in the next ten days, Happy New Year!**

* * *

 **Chapter 34 - A Lesson In Forgiveness**

The hot morning sun beat down on the French Quarter as the streets filled with people dressed in red or white and waving red banners and flags. Others carried statues covered in red sheets. Cassandra had never seen so much red in her life. If she hadn't already been up all night searching the city with Klaus for his older brother Finn, she would have been more curious about what was going on. Instead, she was focused on getting through the sea of people to St. Anne's where Klaus wanted her to meet him. She was a few blocks away from the church when loud bells began ringing. This seemed to cause a stir of excitement in the sea of people. She made a mental note to ask Klaus about it later.

He was waiting outside for her when she arrived and held the door open for her. They found Davina at the front of the sacristy, making a magic circle on the floor out of salt. Klaus paced around anxiously while Cassandra stood beside Davina, watching the young witch work. The circle had eight overlapping sections connected to a small black circle in the middle, and each section of the circle had a different rune symbol in the middle.

"Haven't you found Finn yet?" Klaus grumbled impatiently as Davina created the final rune symbol. She ignored his question, keeping her focus on her task. This only added to Klaus's anxiousness. "For a witch of your caliber, your spells are not particularly efficient."

Davina set the bottle of salt down and picked up a small box of matches as she glanced up at Klaus. "Finn is blocking my locator spell. So I'm trying something new, but I need to concentrate. And it would help a lot if you would stop standing over me like a stalker."

"No need to be testy, love," he murmured. "We all have the same goal."

"Really?" Davina took out a match from the box and used it to light a small white candle. "Because my goal is to get Kol out of your house alive."

"Okay, maybe we don't have quite the same goals," Cassandra muttered softly under her breath.

"Which seems to be about number ten on your list," Davina concluded.

"Number nine, at least," Klaus smirked.

"Not helping," Cassandra shook her head at him.

Davina glared at him. "What is wrong with you? He's your brother."

"Yes, and I also have a sister," Klaus pointed out. "One who I happen to care about more. So, until he tells me where she is, Kol can rot as far as I'm concerned. And you might want to get your villains straight, love. Finn is the architect of this fiasco," Klaus's voice grew louder and edgier. "So pick up the pace, find out where he's getting his power from so we can stop it!"

Cassandra could tell from the look on Davina's face that she knew Klaus had made a damn good point. Davina pressed her lips together and took a deep breath before holding out her hands and closing her eyes. In a soft voice, she began to chant a spell. A few seconds later, her eyes opened.

"I saw glimpses of him," she let out a shaky breath. "He's combining sacred objects. Totems. Representational magic."

"Where?" Klaus asked.

"And why?" Cassandra added.

Davina closed her eyes and continued her spell. "Lafayette Number One. The Lyonne tomb." She spoke with her eyes closed.

"And what's he using?" Klaus wanted to know.

Davina opened her eyes a moment later and slowly turned to face him. "He's channeling your parents."

"Oh my god," Cassandra covered her mouth with her hand.

Klaus grinned widely. "And here I thought I was the poster child for least-grateful offspring. Well, then, shall the three of us go crash their little party?"

He turned around and began walking down the center aisle leave the church. Cassandra and Davina followed quickly after him. After passing the first two rows of pews, Klaus slowed to a stop.

"Klaus?" Cassandra stopped next to him. "You okay?"

"Now who needs to pick up the pace?" Davina murmured impatiently.

Klaus swayed on his feet before falling forward on to the floor.

"Klaus!" Cassandra cried out and dropped to her knees beside him. She could still hear his beating heart as she rolled him onto his back and saw his chest rise and fall with each breath, so she knew he wasn't dead, only unconscious.

"What's wrong with him?" Davina asked as she came to a stop beside Cassandra.

"I don't know," Cassandra murmured as she delicately stroked the side of his face. "He just...passed out, I guess."

Cassandra let out her own sigh as she pulled her phone out of her pocket before repositioning herself on the floor beside Klaus with her legs folded under her crisscross style. She knew what she had to do now, she just wasn't thrilled about having to call him considering where they had left things the day before. She took a deep breath as she dialed his number and held her phone up to her ear.

"Cassandra, hey." An unexpected voice answered after three rings. "

"Cami?" Cassandra squeaked in surprise. "Why are you answering Elijah's phone?"

"Because he collapsed onto the floor and won't wake up," Cami explained.

"Oh no, not Elijah too," Cassandra moaned. "What is going on?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Ugh, I'm an idiot," Davina groaned. Learning that Elijah had also passed out made her realize exactly what was going on. Cassandra eyed her curiously. "The spell Finn used was to trap his brothers. Meaning Kol is also in trouble."

"So, what do we do?" Cassandra asked her.

"I have no idea," Davina answered in a soft voice, much to Cassandra's dismay.

* * *

Klaus opened his eyes and found himself standing in an old fashioned, rundown shed. He stood completely still in the center of the space on an area rug with four chairs positioned to face each the middle on each corner. Above each chair was the head of a different animal mounted on the wall—a deer, a fox, a wolf, and a boar. The sound of footsteps alerted him that he was not alone.

"Niklaus," Elijah spoke in a gentle voice, prompting Klaus to turn around to face him. Klaus looked past Elijah at their younger brother Kol as he walked out of the shadows to make himself known.

Kol glanced from Klaus to Elijah, surprised to find them standing before him. "You two?"

"What is this?" Elijah asked Kol.

Kol walked over to the edge of the rug and looked up at the deer head mounted on the wall. He immediately knew where they were. "It's a _chambre de chasse_." His eyes darted onto the fox next. "A hunt room. It's where witches bring their prey for mental target practice. Our bodies are in the real world laid on the floor whilst our minds are in here, represented by these creepy animal heads."

"Let me take a wild guess as to who's the author of this nightmare," Klaus murmured in an eerily soft voice. "Finn!" He yelled out. "Show yourself."

As he, Kol, and Elijah started to glance around the room, the door to the shed opened with a loud creak and in walked Finn. He closed the door and calmly started to walk towards Klaus. Klaus raised a hand, intending to grab Finn by the throat, but Finn used magic to keep Klaus from getting near as he calmly walked past him with one hand resting comfortably in his pants pocket..

"Save your strength," Finn told Klaus. He stopped in the middle of the room and raised his arms as he addressed Kol and Finn. "And here I am untouchable. My magic, my rules. So," he motioned at the chairs as he looked back and forth from Klaus to Elijah and Kol. "Make yourselves at home. We're gonna be here for a while." When no one moved, Finn continued on. "At the very least, this prison is a bit more comfortable then the box you held me in for almost nine hundred years."

"The heads are a nice touch," Klaus motioned at the animals mounted on the walls as he stepped toward Finn. "Let me guess," he pointed at the wolf head behind him as his lips curled into a smirk. "I'm the big, bad wolf. Kol," he pointed at the fox. "The wily fox." Then he pointed at the deer. "Elijah is the noble stag, although the 'noble' part is debatable since he was recently canoodling with Cassandra."

"What?" Kol glanced from Klaus to Elijah and narrowed his eyes in dismay. Guilt momentarily flashed on Elijah's face, and even though he quickly recovered, it did not go noticed by the youngest Mikaelson. "Well, that's disheartening to say the least," he grumbled.

"And you, fittingly enough," Klaus ignored Kol's little outburst and pointed at the boar as he continued to address Finn. "Are the boar. Bit obvious as far as symbolism goes." Finn stared at him with unimpressed, unamused eyes. "Why are we here? Don't tell me," he smiled again. "It's about mother. I didn't force her to drink blood and betray everything she holds dear. That was her choice."

"This isn't about mother, this is about you," Finn answered, effectively wiping the smirk off of Klaus's face. "I want you to know it feels to be powerless," Finn sneered. "So I'm gonna take the thing that matters most to you—the city you've come to love so much."

"We're quite done here," Elijah spoke up in a bored voice. "You will release us _now._ "

"I will," Finn assured him. "After sundown. Because at sundown, when the marchers of Carillon Eve take to the streets my barrier drops. Marcel and his hungry vampires will be unleashed to kill their way through the Quarter. I imagine that after their atrocities, the supernatural community of New Orleans will be forced to find another place to call home."

Kol had hear enough. "Look, I don't care about the city. What I care about is that my very human body is laying at the feet of some very hungry vampires. Your fight is with them," he pleaded with Finn as he pointed at Elijah. "It's not with me."

"All you care about is your own fragile mortality. But what if you were made vulnerable? What then?" Finn flicked his wrist, casting another spell. Kol went rigid for a nano second, then let out a grunt and brought his hand up to his nose as it started to bleed.

"Okay," Kol shook his head as he wiped the blood off his lip. "Point made. Nobody loves a joke more than old fox boy here, but if you could just get me back to my body—"

"I must confess," Elijah hummed as he slowly walked towards Kol. "I rather enjoy watching you twist in the wind." As he passed by him, he pulled his handkerchief out of his front jacket pocket and held it out to Kol. "Not unlike the way you left Rebekah, I imagine."

"Yes!" Finn nodded in agreement. "What did you do to Rebekah?"

Kol pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "For goodness sake, she crossed me, so I crossed her back. Look, if you could just get me back to my body, I will tell anybody anything they need to know —"

Finn held up his hand, hitting Kol with a pain infliction spell, rendering Kol unable to continue speaking. Finn turned toward Klaus and Elijah who now stood a couple of feet in front of him. "How narrow-minded of me. Rebekah, you don't know where she is, and the only thing standing between you and are sister is this," he slowly turned back to Kol. "Selfish fool. Mmm, maybe it's time for you to go enjoy the rest of your mortal life while you can."

He made a fist with his hand, causing Kol to disappear right before their eyes. Klaus and Elijah blinked in surprise, but kept their composure as Finn turned around to face them. "So, what should we talk about while we wait for nightfall? Oh, I know, let's talk about our parents."

Klaus folded his hands and rested them on the top of the chair he was standing behind. "You know, I figured you wouldn't be kind to mother, but imagine my surprise to learn that Mikael met the same fate. Bravo, brother."

"You see, the parent I was interested in talking about was _your_ father. Your real one," Finn raised his eyebrows slightly. "I mean, you longed to know him your whole life, yet at the first opportunity you murdered him. Why? I wonder."

"Possibly," Klaus slowly walked toward Finn until he was standing directly in front of him. "The same reason you took out Esther. Severing parental ties has a way of freeing one up to recognize one's true potential."

"Quite," Finn rubbed his forehead as Klaus walked past him. He slowly turned in the same direction. "But Esther was no fool." His words stopped Klaus in his tracks. "She pinpointed your want, and knowing your true father was at the top of that list." He licked his tongue as he walked toward Klaus, whose face had dropped. He leaned in close as he lowered his voice. "No, something else occupies the top of your list of affections. And it's not your favorite city." He patted Klaus on the back, startling him enough to turn around and face Finn who continued to taunt him. "Because I'm about to take it from you using your own vampires and I barely get a rise out of you."

Finn wore a grin on his face as he leaned back, speaking in a louder voice. "I thought maybe it was Rebekah, but you remain calm, even when the one person who knows her fate probably just met his."

"I am fighting the monumental desire to mount your severed head upon one of these walls," Elijah murmured in boredom as he stood with his arm propped on top of same chair Klaus had been standing behind a few moments ago.

Ignoring his comment, Finn pointed at Elijah as he looked at Klaus. "Then I thought it was your favorite brother, but Mother broke him into a thousand pieces. And, rather than fix him, you left him to fend for himself God knows where. So, who's left? Ah, yes. The lovely Cassandra. She's got to be the one at the top of your list. Right?" He glanced back and forth from Klaus to Elijah, then back to Klaus again. Klaus's jaw tightened slightly at the mention of her name, but he remained calm and collected as Finn pressed on. "It's funny how history seems to have repeated itself with you both falling for the same girl again. And yet, she clings to both of you despite all you've done, even after you completely ruined her beautiful, human life."

Klaus briefly met Elijah's eyes. Both knew Finn was trying desperately to get a rise out of them, and both were determined to remain as calm and collected as possible. Finn eyed them both carefully, searching for signs of a reaction. He frowned in disappointment at their controlled demeanors and licked his lips before speaking again.

"You know," he turned to Klaus. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were hiding something from me. Something that surpasses your affection for Cassandra. Something big. Something dark. Maybe your real father found out what it was and you had to kill him."

"You want to know why I killed my father?" Klaus spoke in a low voice as Finn started to turn away. As Finn turned back to him, he moved closer. "When blood relations let me down, I don't stop to reason with them," he lowered his voice to a spine-chilling whisper. "I remove them."

"So, the secret is there is no secret?" Finn eyed him skeptically. Klaus smiled back at him. "You long for nothing, care for no one but Cassandra? Problem is, brother, I don't believe you." Klaus's smiled faded. "It's clear to me that you're hiding something. And as I control your presence here, I've got all the time in the world to figure out just what that might be."

* * *

"So," Cassandra shifted her body ninety degrees and leaned back against the side of the pews. "Since they won't be waking up for who knows how long, how were things going with Elijah before he passed out? Did he say anything about anything that might have happened between he and I?"

"It was going well, I think," Cami answered. "Took all morning for him to let down his guard and open up to me. He hasn't said anything about you. We've been talking about his past. Has he ever mentioned a girl named Tatia? Or anything about a red door?"

"I know about Tatia. She's the first girl he ever loved. Klaus loved her too. It caused a huge rift between them that took them decades to overcome. As for the red door, no. He hasn't said anything to me, but Klaus did mention something about it. It's connected to the place where their mother killed Tatia to use her in the spell that made them vampires."

"I see."

"There's more to it isn't there?"

"Esther used that door to lock away Elijah's darkest and most painful memories. Those memories have been coming in flashes for him. But beyond that, I'd rather not say more."

"Oh, of course," Cassandra murmured quickly. "Doctor-patient confidentiality. Say no more. I'm glad to hear he's willing to let you help him. And now I know what he meant by 'vampire PTSD'."

"Me too," Cami smiled. "Maybe if you asked him, he'd be willing to share more with you, too."

"I—" Cassandra stopped when her phone beeped in her ear. She pulled it away from her face and glanced at the screen to see she was getting another incoming phone call, this time from Hayley. "Oh, Hayley's calling me. I should take this. I'll call you back."

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere. And your little girl is wonderful, by the way. A very happy, easy-going baby."

Cassandra couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. "Thank you." She didn't say anything more for fear of accidently slipping up in front of Davina. She said a quick goodbye and answered Hayley's call. "Hayley, hey. How's the wedding planning coming along?"

"Hey. That's why I'm calling," Hayley paused and let out a big breath. "We have a huge problem."

"What is it?"

"You know how Jackson and I are supposed to go through these different trials and rituals before the ceremony? For one of them we have to smoke the root of the calamus flower which basically acts like a truth serum. We have to share our secrets with each other."

"Oh my god!" Cassandra whispered, bringing a hand to her mouth as her stomach dropped.

"According to Jackson's grandmother, who would perform the wedding ceremony, this truth ritual is the most important part aside from the wedding itself. If we don't do it, the unification ceremony won't work. Cassandra, I already told Jackson I can't do it, that some of my secrets aren't mine to tell."

"But the ceremony _has_ to work, or everything we've done to get your pack out from under Finn and Esther will be a waste. Ugh!" She let out a growl as she banged the back of her head against the pew she was leaning against. "You're going to have to tell Jackson the secret you're keeping for me."

"What about Klaus?"

"I'll tell him what's going on once he wakes up. Look, I trust both of you with it, okay. I just have to get Klaus on board with that too. When is this truth thing going down?"

"I don't know exactly, but sometime in the next twenty-four hours, I think."

"Okay," Cassandra gave a nod of her head. "That's not a lot of time, but it's gonna have to be. Just...stall for me as long as you can until I've had a chance to talk to Klaus."

"I will."

With a heavy sigh, Cassandra ended the call, ignoring Davina's confused stare. She glanced at Klaus's lifeless body for a long moment before slumping her shoulders and covering her face with her hands. Hayley and Jackson were as good as dead if she couldn't convince Klaus they could be trusted with their biggest secret.

* * *

"It's a shame, really, for you to lose New Orleans," Finn spoke calmly as he sat in the chair under the boar's head with his legs crossed, glancing sideways at Klaus who sat next to him in the chair under the wolf head. Elijah sat across from Klaus under the deer head. "You've worked so hard to make this city a home. On the other hand, this city hasn't given you much in the way of good fortune." He began counting on one hand. "You had Marcel's betrayal. Father's attack. Loss of your child."

Knowing he was being baited, Klaus stared emotionlessly at the floor until Finn was done. He briefly met Elijah's eyes and found him glancing at him with calm, yet concerned eyes. Neither were sure how long they could endure Finn's prodding before snapping, but they knew their beloved secret was dependent upon their ability to keep their composure.

"It's a delicate craft," Elijah murmured as he met Finn's eyes. "Representational magic, one must be ever so precise. If you misrepresent us," he held out his hands, palms up. "Every enchantment this room was built on collapses."

"I assure you, you have not been misrepresented," Finn spoke confidently.

"Well, that depends on how well the hunter knows his pray," Elijah stared intensely at Finn. He momentarily met Klaus's curious gaze as he pointed at the deer head above him. "This façade," he slowly stood up and turned around to face the deer head. "This illusion that I have created over the course of my life. The noble stag. It's nothing more than a deception," his voice softened. "To myself. To everyone." He swallowed slowly and turned around to face Klaus, his eyes burning with tears. "For were I truly noble, brother, I would not have withheld from you a vile deed. One that I, like a coward, allowed Mother to erase from my memory. It was I who killed Tatia." Klaus stared back at Elijah completely stunned and unable to speak. Elijah began walking towards Klaus as he continued with his confession. "I hunted her down and mercilessly, I feasted upon her flesh. I tore her from us. Mother took the blame."

When he reached Klaus, Elijah dropped down to his knees and kneeled before him. "Brother, I felt certain if you knew you would in no way forgive me."

"The act may be reprehensible, but your admitting to it proves you to be the man I thought you to be," Finn smiled smugly as Elijah hung his head in shame. He held up his hands in victory. "My magic stands."

"Does it?" Klaus murmured in a low voice, his eyes fixed on Elijah. "It turns out my brother is even more depraved than I am." Elijah looked up at him with tears trickling down his cheeks. Klaus stood up and walked around him over to the chair he'd been sitting in and gazed up at the deer while Finn looked on in confusion. "He is the noble stag no longer." He whispered and turned back around to Finn. "Indeed, an altogether different beast is creeping through the cracks. And," his voice grew louder. "You have also failed in your representation of me because there is one thing you never thought me capable of." He placed a hand gently on top of Elijah's shoulder, prompting Elijah to look up at him. "Forgiveness."

The lights in the room flickered as Finn's magic holding them in the room started to crack. Sensing the shift, Elijah rose to his feet while Klaus focused on Finn and continued to rant.

"You, Finn, have remained a boar for centuries, but here is where your true fault lies." Klaus's voice grew louder. "You never learned that the bonds of family far outweigh anything else. Such bonds trump petty jealousies. They overcome ancient feuds. And yes, they are capable of allowing one monster," he turned back to Elijah and whispered, "To pardon the great sins of another."

The boar head burst into flames. Finn slowly stood up and stared at it dumbfounded. The stag was next to be set ablaze and the room began to flicker and shake.

"How is this possible?" Finn looked around in dismay.

"Your magic is as flawed as your perception of your own siblings," Klaus murmured in a low, eerie voice. He wore a smug smile on his face. "I wonder, just how untouchable are you?" He and Elijah started to lunge toward him, but before they could get close, Finn waved his hand and sent them back to their respective bodies.

Cassandra jumped in surprise when Klaus woke up with a loud gasp and slowly leaned forward. "Klaus!" She crawled to his side and helped him sit up. "What happened? Are you and your brothers okay?"

"We're fine, love," he gave her a small smile. They both quickly stood back up as Davina approached them.

"So Kol's okay?"

"Yes. The same, however, cannot be said for your friends and the people of the French Quarter," he told the young witch. Now, I can stand here and explain to you the specifics or you can show a little trust and come with me."

"We're the ones who've been waiting for you to move your ass. Let's go," Davina pushed her way past Klaus and Cassandra, making her way down the center aisle to go back outside. Cassandra shared a quick glance with Klaus before rushing out with him to catch up with Davina.

Night had fallen, and the streets were full of people marching in the Carillon Eve parade. They walked a few blocks, looking left and right for signs of distress, but everything was calm and as it should be.

"Everything's fine out here. Where the hell are they?" Davina's voice held a hint of worry.

"You look around," Klaus told her. "Cassandra and I will see if we can track them down."

They left Davina standing on the corner and began heading the opposite direction. They made quick work of searching the streets, with supernatural speed on their side. When they'd ruled out the presence of Marcel and his vampires in the Quarter they headed to his loft in Algiers next. When they went inside, they found the floor on the first and second level littered with empty blood bags.

"Well, they _were here,_ " Cassandra sighed. "But they aren't here now."

"No, they aren't," Klaus agreed.

"So, what now?"

"I'm working on it."

She nodded her head slowly. She took a deep breath, knowing what she had to do next. "Okay. Well, while you're doing that, there's something I need to t—" She stopped short as Klaus held his phone up to his ear.

"How's my daughter?" He spoke into the phone with a low voice.

"She's in good hands," Elijah murmured. "As am I. However, if you say the word, I shall return."

 _Thank you, Cami!_ Cassandra couldn't help smiling.

"No, you're needed where you are."

"So the city is safe?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly go flinging around terms like 'safe'. Marcel and all his vampires have inexplicably disappeared," Klaus explained the situation they were in. "Kol is in the wind, Rebekah is still lost, and Finn is dangerously suspicious of the secrets we keep."

"What?" Cassandra whispered, frowning at his words.

"Speaking of which," Klaus's voice softened. "I meant what I said. I am capable of forgiveness. And not just for past transgressions, for more," he paused and turned to Cassandra, taking her hand into his and lacing their fingers together, "recent ones, too." Cassandra stared at him in awe, almost unable to believe what she was hearing. Klaus gave her hand a small squeeze and continued speaking to Elijah. "We need to remain focused on our common enemies. I'll be in touch."

He ended the call and let go of her hand long enough to slip his phone back into his inside jacket pocket before taking hold of it again. He brought his other hand up to the side of her face and lightly brushed her cheek with the edge of his thumb before leaning in and giving her a soft kiss on the lips. Her eyes fluttered shut momentarily and opened again as he pulled away.

"I don't understand. You really forgive me?" She whispered, looking into his eyes.

Klaus flashed her a genuine smile. "I figure after the many times I've needed your forgiveness for my wrong-doings, it was high time I returned the favor. Regretfully, it will take longer for you and my brother to earn my trust back, however, but that is a matter for another day."

She smiled and nodded in understanding as she brought her hand up, placing it on top of his, and reveled in the incredible feeling of his touch, for she knew she was about to ruin it with what she still had to tell him. Taking a deep breath, she pulled his hand away from her face and clasped her hand around it. "As much as I hate to ruin this moment, I have to tell you something, and you aren't going to be happy about it."

"Is that so?" He raised his eyebrows slightly and let out a breath. "Well, out with it, then."

She quickly told him about what had happened the previous morning with Hope getting a hold of her phone and accidently calling Hayley. "I was able to play it off as an accidental mishap...until Hope started cooing loudly. Hayley heard her and put two and two together."

"So, she knows our secret now," Klaus frowned. "Splendid."

"Yes," Cassandra nodded. "She swore up and down that she wouldn't tell a soul, but then she called me today to tell me about this ritual she and Jackson have to go through where they smoke blue calamus root and spill all of their secrets to each other."

"So essentially, Hayley will be forced to divulge our secret with her betrothed."

"For the wedding ceremony to work, yes."

"Well, the solution is quite obvious then. There isn't going to be a wedding anymore."

"But Klaus—"

"It's not up for discussion, love," he cut her off. "Ah, the cavalry has arrived," he let go of her hands and turned around as Aiden walked into the room. He had sent a text message to the werewolf the moment he and Cassandra had arrived at the loft and discovered the absence of Marcel and his posse of vampires. "And right on time." He walked over to Aiden. Cassandra quickly followed. "No doubt eager to save your precious Josh."

"Yes, just tell me what you need," Aiden nodded as he approached them.

"You can start by questioning your wolves. Find out what Finn has done with Marcel and his vampires," Klaus suggested in a calm voice.

"Well, I would, but most of the wolves took off for the bayou, waiting for Hayley and Jackson to finish their wedding trials," Aiden explained.

"Ah, yes. Cassandra was just filling me in on that. They're to smoke blue calamus. A rather specific plant. Known by many for its unique properties as a truth serum. In generations past, it was used among the wolves for divulgement rituals. Ancient rights where secrets are confessed," Klaus's eyes flickered over to Cassandra for half a second before shifting back onto Aiden. "Tell me, where exactly did Jackson take Hayley?"

"Back country, deep bayou," Aiden answered. "Why?"

"That'll be all. Stay on point," Klaus murmured, avoiding Aiden's question. He walked past Aiden towards the door, prompting Cassandra to scurry after him.

"Wait, that's it?" Aiden turned around and called out after them. "Where are you going?"

Klaus came to a stop and turned back to face Aiden "I'm going to have a little chat with the bride-to-be." He lowered his voice. "Remind her that some secrets need to stay buried."


	35. Learning To Trust

**Hey guys! I'm alive! I know it's been way too long since my last update, so I'll keep this short and sweet. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I admit I was surprised to see that some of you thought Klaus forgave Cassandra too soon. Maybe he should have, but I felt if he could forgive Elijah for killing Tatia, surely he could forgive Cassandra for what she did. I dont have much to say other than that. I think this chapter shows a different side to Cassandra then we're used to seeing, a fiercer side. I hope you all enjoy it, and again, I am so sorry about the long wait. Thank you so much for being so paitent with me. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 35 - Learning To Trust**

The soft hum of chattering voices could be heard as Cassandra and Klaus reached the familiar crescent wolf encampment in the Bayou. Some werewolves were busy carrying stacks of chopped wood for a fire, while others were tidying up in preparation for the upcoming Unification Ceremony.

Two young boys not more than eight years old were tossing a baseball back and forth. Cassandra smiled as she watched them, remembering what it felt like to be that young and innocent for a brief moment. One of boys tossed the ball too high, making it sail over his friend's head. The second boy turned around to run after it as it rolled on the ground straight to Klaus who stopped it with his foot. He crouched down and picked it up, smiling at the boy who'd stopped in front of him. Cassandra thought he was going to hand it back and rolled her eyes when he stood up and started to walk forward.

"I wonder if you lot can help me," he called out, tossing the ball back and forth in his hands. A silence fell as everyone stopped talking and focused on him. "I'm looking for the wolf who calls herself your queen." He wore a friendly smile on his face. "I prefer you tell me where she is before I grow irritated. After all," he turned around and tossed the ball to the boy who'd been waiting for it. "There are children present."

After learning Jackson had taken Hayley to his grandmother's cabin deep in the Bayou, they quickly made their way there. The small cabin was snuggled behind bushes and trees and rested on a wooden dock beside a large pond. The front door was wide open, prompting Klaus to waste no time whooshing over to it. Though they hadn't been invited in, they could see the back of an older woman with short white hair leaning over the kitchen counter chopping potatoes. She was quick to realize she wasn't alone and spun around to find Klaus who smiled widely at her as he stood with his hands folded behind his back. Cassandra stood beside him, her hands at her sides.

"What do you want?" The woman asked in a no-nonsense voice as she tightly gripped the knife in her hand.

"Well, we could start with some common courtesy. You could invite us in," Klaus asked in a light voice.

The woman scoffed and slammed her knife down onto the counter. "Not likely, vampires."

"Woah, take it easy," Cassandra held her hands up defensively. She kept her voice soft and calm. "We're just looking for Hayley. Do you know where we can find her?"

"What do you want with her?" The woman asked, taking a few steps towards them.

"I wish only to remind her of the importance of family. Dissuade her from foolish mistakes," Klaus answered.

"Jackson's with her now. They can look out for each other. Why don't you just leave them alone?"

"Well, perhaps I should. Clearly, I can trust Jackson's selfless nature, willing as he is to marry Hayley, and in exchange for nothing more than an empowered werewolf pack to serve as his own personal army." Klaus shook his head, laughing softly at the thought. "You know, on second thought, I think I'd like to congratulate the bride and groom. No doubt they're close by tending to their prenuptial observances. And since you've been," Klaus slammed his hand against the outside of the doorframe, making Cassandra flinch in surprise. "Unable to help me find them, well, I suppose I'll have to hunt them down myself, won't I?"

The woman stared back at them with wide, nervous eyes. Before Cassandra could say anything to ease her worry, Klaus whooshed away to begin searching for Hayley. Desperate to keep up with him and keep him in line, she hurried after him, putting all thoughts of the older woman behind her for the time being.

It didn't take them long to pick up their scent. They followed it to a clearing with a dozen little makeshift grave markers made from wood and stones. Jackson and Hayley were standing in front of one with the letters R-X-D carved into the stone along with a crescent moon. Jackson was sharing his big secret Hayley, something his grandfather had done. Something awful. Oh my god, Cassandra's eyes widened. His grandfather had something to do with the death of Hayley's parents. That has to be it!

"I don't blame you, Jack," Hayley murmured sadly. "I just really hate secrets."

"That was my secret. Whatever yours is, if you don't want to tell me, then don't," Jackson let her off the hook. "Doesn't change a thing. Least of all, how I feel about you."

"Quite the romantic sentiment," Klaus chose that moment to make their presence known and appeared behind Jackson. Cassandra quickly rushed forward and stood next to Klaus as Jackson turned around to face them. "I wonder, however, if I might impose on this lovely tableau long enough to have a word with Hayley."

"It's okay. Go ahead," Hayley motioned in the direction of Jackson's grandmother's cabin. "I'll meet you back at Mary's."

He nodded, brushing his hand lightly against her arm as he walked off, leaving Hayley with Cassandra and Klaus. Klaus waited until Jackson was out of earshot before addressing Hayley.

"Allow me to make this quite simple for you, Hayley. Under no circumstances will you divulge any family secrets, especially none that would endanger my child," He growled.

"Except, it's not that simple, Klaus," Cassandra jumped in before Hayley could say anything. "You saw what Finn did. He's growing more powerful by the day." Klaus sighed, and turned away, knowing she was right. "Right now he controls over half of the wolves. Hayley and Jackson's marriage could change that."

"The outcome of your strategy is not worth the risk it imposes on our daughter," Klaus shot back.

"Well, it's not a risk if I trust both Hayley and Jackson," Cassandra argued back. Klaus rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "Klaus, think. We could have a whole army of super wolves who could and would protect Hope as one of their own."

"Hope doesn't need a wolf army," Klaus hissed. "We're hybrids! We'll protect her ourselves. And an easier time we'll have of it too without your friend Hayley here running off sharing secrets with every motley member of her brethren."

"Damn it, Klaus!" Cassandra yelled in frustration. "Don't you get it? This is our chance. We can bring her home. We can finally be a family. We have to at least consider this."

"I have considered it, and I have deemed it absurd." He spoke in a commanding voice. "And in this matter there is no one above my decree. Not you," he motioned at Hayley, then turned back to Cassandra. "And especially not you." He stepped closer to Hayley. "You will tell Jackson the wedding is off."

"It's a good thing I don't take orders from anyone. Especially not from you," Haley spat, glaring at him.

"You know what?" Cassandra held up a hand. "I am done arguing with you about this. Let me know when you wanna have a real conversation," She paused and turned to Hayley. "Come on. Let's get out of here and go find Jackson."

Klaus rushed after them and grabbed Cassandra by the arm, stopping her. "Cassandra!"

She yanked her arm out of his grasp as she spun around to face him and motioned for Hayley to keep going. "I am not going to stand here while you tell me what I can and cannot do to protect my daughter!"

"Our daughter!" Klaus corrected her.

"Right. Ours," Cassandra leaned in closer to his face. "But it was your mother who tried to kill her, and who knows what your equally psychotic brother is up to."

"I will deal with Finn."

"And then what? Hope will always be the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson, the Original Hybrid with a thousand enemies!"

Klaus let out a breath and looked away, slightly burned by her words. Cassandra let out a sigh and placed her hands on the sides of his neck. "Do you really think I would risk the safety and wellbeing of our daughter like this if I wasn't a hundred percent certain the ceremony will work? This wedding will help her. She can come home. The wolves will be on our side."

"The wolves cannot be trusted!" He yelled.

"Then trust me !" She yelled back as her eyes filled with angry tears. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and spoke in a softer voice. "Look, I know I have no right to ask you to do this after what I did, that I'm asking of the impossibe, but this goes way beyond that, so I'm asking anyway. This is about something that dates back a thousand years, something your real father saw work successfully with his own eyes. So please, Klaus, please trust me when I say that this wedding can and will work. We can bring our little girl home. But, ¬you have to trust me."

Klaus cupped the side of her face with his hand and leaned his forehead down against hers. "You are right. It is asking a lot, but when it comes to our daughter I do trust you, sweetheart." He murmured softly. "More than you know." Cassandra let out a breath, thinking she'd finally gotten through to him. The next thing she knew, Klaus twisted her neck until it snapped, sending her into darkness, and caught her limp body as she slumped forward into his arms. "I just don't trust Jackson or Hayley."

* * *

Marcel grimaced as he tugged at the ropes tied around his wrists and torso, confining him to a chair in one of the aisles of Lenore's convenience store. Every time he tried to pull his arms free, the ropes dug deeper into his flesh, making it sizzle loudly as it burned.

"You can't free yourself," Finn murmured, watching Marcel as he struggled. Marcel let out a breath as he looked up at Finn. "Those ropes have been soaked in vervain," he picked up a bundle of the purple flowered herb from a bowl placed beside the chair and held up it up to his nose. Marcel glared at him. "But I did lesson the spell that made you hungry," he tossed the vervain back into the bowl. "Affording us an opportunity for some civilized discourse."

He dragged a second chair over and sat down a couple of feet across from Marcel. "Let's start with our mutual friend, Camille. The topic that consumed the majority of our time together was her troubled relationship with Niklaus. He confided in her, but she knew nothing I could use against him. I would have liked to have a chat with Cassandra on the same subject, but I couldn't get close enough to speak to her before she figured out my identity. And yet, recently I had occasion to speak with my brother and I realized that he has a secret. One he is desperate to protect. And I think that that secret is a weakness. So, tell me, Marcel," Finn lowered his voice to a whisper. "What is it?"

"You really think that he trusts me with anything that could be used against him?" Marcel stared back at him, slightly baffled.

"You're Klaus's ally. And I think you know something."

"You can think whatever you want. As long as you don't mind knowing that you are a chump."

Displeased with his answer, Finn blew against his thumb and forefinger before rubbing them together, casting a pain-inflicting spell on Marcel. Marcel pinched his eyes shut as he yelled out in pain until Finn ended the spell.

"Tell me what you know," Finn ordered.

Marcel glared at him as he panted and caught his breath. "I'll tell you what I remember. Two centuries back, I was just a kid looking through the compound. I found a coffin. Klaus catches me and he says 'That's my brother Finn. We keep him like that because he is such a bore.'" He eyed Finn with a smirk.

Finn blew on his fingers again, casting the same spell on Marcel as before, causing him to yell out agony once more. He rose to his feet and turned his back on Marcel as he allowed his spell to go on longer than it had the first time. After a good thirty seconds, he relented and gave Marcel a chance to answer his question again, but Marcel didn't offer up anything new. Finn repeated his torturous spell over and over until Marcel was barely conscious. He leaned down towards Marcel and grabbed the back of his head, tilting it up so they were making eye contact.

"I'm convinced," Finn smiled as Marcel sneered at him. "You know nothing." He let go of Marcel's head, letting it relax and hang down, as he leaned back and stood normally again. "Which means whatever Klaus is keeping secret is so secret he won't even share it with you. Perhaps there are other ways you can be of use to me," A sinister smile appeared on Finn's face.

The door to the shop opened loudly, causing Finn to turn around as his younger brother Kol walked inside.

"Brother," Kol nodded and shut the door behind him.

"What are you doing here, Kol?" Finn eyed him skeptically.

"I heard a rumor that you've taken Marcel prisoner," Kol slowly sauntered over to a shelf along the aisle where Finn and Marcel were and picked up a small dagger. "And it just so happens that I owe him." He turned toward Marcel and walked up to him, slamming the knife into Marcel's right hand.

"AH!" Marcel yelled out. "You son of a—I am going to kill the both of you!" He glared at Kol and Finn.

Finn waived his hand and snapped Marcel's neck with magic so he and Kol could speak privately. "You have some nerve coming here," he licked his lips, shaking his head slightly. "All good grace with me was lost the moment you sided with our wretched siblings."

"You know me, Finn," Kol gave him a lopsided smile. "I take sides with whoever I think is gonna win. And to be honest, well, you and mom were acting a bit daft, weren't you? But I heard about how you turned dear old dad into your own personal black magic battery pack and I thought, 'Wow, that's...that's cold.' But it's smart. Now I can see which way the wind is blowing." He took a few steps forward until he was standing next to Marcel's limp body. "And after the way the three of them treated us, I'll be happy to see them get what's coming."

Finn made a fist with his hand, casting a pain-infliction spell on Kol that made him scream as he doubled over and fell to his knees. He released Kol from the spell a moment later, allowing him to catch his breath.

"What was that for?" Kol panted, gripping a shelf for support as he looked up at Finn.

"For being a duplicitous weasel," Finn growled in a low voice.

"I have proved myself, Finn. More than you have." He slowly pushed himself back up onto his feet. "I'm the one that put Rebekah in another body. And whilst Klaus is out there looking for his dear little sister, I was forging a dagger that would put him to sleep for centuries."

"Leaving you free to pursue Cassandra," Finn rolled his eyes. "I know your true motives, Kol."

"Well, yes, that's certainly part of it," Kol nodded. "but I also want him to pay for every year he kept me daggered in a coffin."

"I don't wanna put him to sleep. I want him dead," Finn hissed.

"Yes, but you're gonna need allies," Kol rushed forward and placed a hand on Finn's arm. "And I've got them. Davina Claire. She's a Harvest girl. I've got her wrapped around my little finger. I have," he grinned proudly. "With her on our side, there is nothing, nothing that will stand in our way."

Finn was reluctant to believe the words coming out of his brother's mouth. "Klaus knows you trapped Rebekah," he pointed at Kol. "And yet he hasn't tracked you down to torture her location out of you?"

"Well," Kol shrugged. "I'm smart enough not to be found."

Vincent began to chuckle as a grin spread across his face. Kol's statement only further confirmed his suspicions. "And Elijah also knows Rebekah is missing, and yet he remains unaccounted for. Despite my power, I've been unable to locate him which suggests he's gone to great lengths to hide himself. And Elijah hides from no one." Kol stared at him, unable to challenge his claims. "Unless he's keeping something hidden."

"Wow, Finn," Kol scoffed nervously. "You sound like Sherlock Holmes after one too many tequilas."

"And you act a fool," Finn muttered in a low voice. "To dare think I wouldn't know about your little friends in the back."

Kol took a step backwards and glanced over his shoulder to see Davina and Aiden lurking around in the darkness, the only light coming from their cell phones which they were using as flashlights. Earlier that day, Aiden had sought out Davina and Kol's help to rescue Josh from Finn's imprisonment. Kol had reluctantly agreed, knowing his job would be distracting his brother. Up until that moment, he thought he'd succeeded, but now he knew otherwise.

Finn waved his arm, casting another pain spell on Kol which sent him down to his knees with a loud grunt. "Allow me to send a message to your little girlfriend." He looked at the front of the store where they stood surrounding Josh and mumbled under his breath as he waived his hand. Josh woke with a loud gasp.

"Josh, hey. It's me," Aiden smiled at him. "You alright?"

Josh let out a feral growl as he bared his vampire fangs. Aiden leaned back in alarm and looked over at the other vampires who had also woken up. When he looked back down, his eyes widened at discovering Josh had vanished. He and Davina quickly stood up and made a run for the door. Before they got there, Josh appeared, blocking their exit. Josh lunged for Aiden, desperate to quench his overpowering hunger. Aiden held him back as long as he could until he finally caved and snapped Josh's neck to subdue him. He hugged Josh's limp body and quickly threw him over his shoulder.

"Davina, let's go!" He yelled at her as he pushed the door to the shop open and left. She hurried after him.

"Now," Finn murmured as Kol slowly stood up. "Are you through with this little ruse, brother?"

Instead of answering him, Kol turned around and darted away as fast as he could. He barreled through the door leading to the back of the shop and rounded a tall metal shelf, looking for a way out, when he stopped dead in his tracks as the awakened vampires growled at him. Finn had followed and stopped behind Kol. He waved his hand and sent the vampires back to sleep.

"Seems your little friend Davina has absconded with one of my prisoners," Finn spoke calmly as Kol turned around to face him.

"I didn't come here for a fight," Kol murmured softly. "The little witch asked me to be a distraction." He cautiously stepped towards Finn, smiling weakly at him. "She can be quite pushy when she wants to be, ya know?"

Finn scoffed and grabbed Kol by the back of the neck, pulling him as close as he could. "Don't you see?" He hissed softly, pressing his forehead against Kol's. "We were given a gift." He let go of Kol who was now breathing nervously. "Rebirth. Unfettered by vampirism. We were made clean. And all that was asked was a pittance in return and you could not even give that." He jabbed Kol in the chest with his finger.

"Finn," Kol whispered, pleading with his eyes. "You're angry. And when you're angry, you don't think straight. So, just give me a chance—"

"You don't deserve another chance, Kol. " He quickly clutched Kol's face in his hands and looked him in the eyes. "So, I'm gonna give you the one thing I know you fear most. Death."

"No," Kol hissed and tried to shove Finn away, but Finn grabbed him by the shirt and pressed his hand against his chest. He let out a yell as his body seized up while Finn muttered an incantation.

"I curse you to this body, unable to a jump to another," Finn shouted. "Over the next few days, I want you to contemplate what's to come. A meaningless, lonely death and the darkness to follow." He let go of Kol and shoved him backwards, allowing him to catch his breath. "Clock starts now. Be sure to say your goodbyes. Go. Brother, I will not miss you."

Kol stared at Finn completely shocked and betrayed before finally turning to leave.

* * *

Cassandra let out a loud gasp as her eyes popped open. She slowly sat up and looked around. Night had fallen, the air quieter and cooler than it had been during the day. She blinked as she regained her barings and tried to remember what had happened.

"Oh. My. God.," she realized. "He snapped my neck!"

She jumped to her feet and took off for Mary's cabin, letting her senses guide her. She made it in no time at all.

"Hayley!" She yelled as she came to a stop a couple of feet away from the door. "Jackson!"

"Cassandra!" Hayley rushed to the door. "I've been calling you for hours. What happened?"

"Klaus happened," Cassandra growled. "He snapped my neck. Where's Jackson?"

"Klaus disappeared with him. He said he wanted to have a little chat. I tried to stop Jack, but he insisted."

Cassandra ran a frustrated hand through her blonde hair. "Damn it! Klaus means to kill him. And you'll be next. Stay inside where you'll be safe. I'll rescue Jackson."

"Okay," Hayley nodded.

Cassandra took off again, whooshing around and listening as hard as she possibly could while she tried to get a lock on their scents. Once she found it, she followed it until she finally found them in a small clearing. Klaus gripped Jackson by the throat with his left hand and pointed a wooden stake at Jackson's face

"You told me once that my people were yours too," Jackson gasped as he fought with everything he had left in him to keep the stake from coming any closer. "If you kill me now, promise me that you will help Cassandra and Hayley set our people free."

Klaus stared at Jackson, surprised by his words. It was the moment Cassandra needed. She charged at Klaus and tackled him to the ground with a loud growl. He rolled onto his knees, but she shoved him onto his back and straddled him as she grabbed his wrists, pinning them against the ground on either side of his head.

"You will not kill him!" She roared, baring her hybrid face at him.

"You know," Klaus sighed, "Normally I'd be quite hot and bothered having you on top of me like this, but not tonight." He effortlessly pushed back against her hands and tossed her to the side, allowing him to stand again.

Cassandra quickly stood up and positioned herself in front of Jackson. "I trust him, Klaus," she yelled. "Do you hear me? You're not gonna kill him, not unless you want to go through me."

Klaus tilted his head as he stared at her, knowing she finally had him. "You truly believe that he," he pointed at Jackson. "Is worthy of your trust?"

"Yes."

"Well, you are a stubborn one. Fine," he grumbled in a low voice. He stepped forward, walking until he was right in front of her. "Go on, then. Tell him. Have the wedding. Save your precious wolves." He paused and tilted his head, aiming his next words at Jackson, pointing a finger at him. "But you mark my words. If you ever betray her, I will find you and I will deposit your head on the end of a spike," he growled. "Perhaps I'll leave it in your grandmother's garden."

He whooshed away as the final word left his mouth. Cassandra turned around and rushed to Jackson's side. For the first time, she saw how bloody and battered he was from Klaus's torture. She carefully reached for one of his arms and draped it over her shoulder so that he could lean against her as they made their way back to his grandmother's cabin.

When they were within a few yards of the property, Cassandra called out to Hayley and Jackson's grandmother. "Hayley! Mary! Come quick!"

The front door flew open and Hayley came racing outside with Mary right behind her. "Bring him 'round back," Mary ordered. I'll grab some supplies and meet you there."

Cassandra nodded as Hayley draped Jackson's other arm over her shoulder and helped him the rest of the way to the back patio. They carefully lowered him into a wooden chair and backed up as Mary appeared to take over with patching him up.

"There," Mary murmured a little while later as she placed a gauze bandage on Jackson's stomach once she'd cleaned it all up and put a homemade medicine on it to lessen the pain. "You let that sit. You'll feel better in the morning," she patted his shoulder and stood up. He smiled at her in gratitude and patted her hand before she turned around and began walking toward Hayley and Cassandra.

"Mary, I am so sorry," Cassandra sighed sadly.

"For what? Knowing a monster? It happens." She surprised Cassandra by reaching a hand out, placing it on her shoulder. "When Jack was down, you fought for him. He told me about you and everything you did to free us from that awful curse. I can't thank you enough for that."

Cassandra smiled weakly at her. Mary gave her shoulder a small squeeze before heading back inside. She took a deep and slowly walked over to Jackson. "You okay?" She murmured as she sat down in the empty chair next to him.

"I'll live," he nodded his head. "That's the thing I can't figure out," he looked over at her. "Why didn't he kill me?"

"Klaus doesn't trust easily. I think he realized that not trusting you would be worse. He'd end up surrounded by enemies. Alone." She paused and took another deep breath, stealing a quick sideways glance Hayley who continued to hang back, allowing her to talk to Jackson.

"Listen, I-I know Hayley's been reluctant to share her secrets with you in that divulgement ritual, and I want to tell you why. Her big secret, it wasn't hers to tell. It's mine and I'd like to share it with you, if you'll let me." He nodded for her to keep going. "I wanna tell you a story about a beautiful baby girl and the parents who swore they would die to protect her."

-o-

Cassandra let out a sigh as she walked into the compound courtyard a little while later. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders now that Jackson knew the truth about her baby. She could still see his open-mouthed, wide-eyed face in her mind when she'd told him everything that had happened from the moment Hope was born.

Smiling to herself, she began making her way upstairs when her ears perked up. She could hear Klaus talking on the phone to Elijah, no doubt telling him all about what had gone down in the Bayou that day. Following the sound of Klaus's voice, she found him in the parlor room, waving a long knife around as he paced back and forth. She stood just outside the door, listening and waiting for the right moment to enter.

"The wedding works in our favor. Newly-empowered and willingly indebted to Cassandra for her hand in coming up with the plan to begin with and for saving the lives of both alphas, the wolves will be an asset to our family," Klaus told his brother.

"Yes, assuming you're willing to trust Jackson and Hayley with our secrecy. I must confess, brother, I'm a little surprised to find that you do," she heard Elijah say in response.

"Well, faith in Jackson is a means to an end. If I had simply killed him, Cassandra would have turned against me. You should have seen the ferocity with which she defended him. It was impressive. That being said, I don't take the matter of secrets lightly. Once the wedding takes place and the wolves are forever altered, our Jackson and his beloved's fates becomes a little less certain," Klaus explained in a low voice.

Cassandra shook her head in frustration over what she'd just heard. She clenched her hands into tight fists and released them as she let out a deep breath and walked into the parlor once she was certain he'd ended his phone call with Elijah, making her presence known.

"You know, I really ought to read you the riot act for snapping my neck," she sighed, folding her arms across her chest.

"But you have decided not to?" Klaus turned around to face her, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Correct. Because I'm madder about what you said to Elijah. You're still planning to kill them, only after the wedding."

Klaus let out a soft sigh. "So you were listening."

"Uh huh. Care to recant anything?" When he remained silent, Cassandra groaned softly and threw her hands up in defeat. "Fine. Be stubborn. I'm sure Elijah will back me up and help me stop you."

She pulled out her phone and turned to leave when he gently grabbed her elbow and pulled her to a stop. "Wait," he murmured, spinning her back around to face him. "You'll notice I said, 'their fate becomes less certain.' That's not a definitive declaration that I'm still going to kill them."

"Not really all that reassuring, but I'm tired of arguing about it so..." Cassandra trailed off and slipped her phone back into her pocket.

"What do you say we call a truce, then?" He eyed her hopefully. "For the foreseeable future."

She thought about it a second before slowly nodding her head and held out her hand. "Okay. Truce. For now."

A wide grin spread across Klaus's lips as he placed his hand into hers and shook it firmly. "Truce."

"Hello, Nik. Cassandra," an unfamiliar female voice gently greeted the pair with a smile on her face. Cassandra let go of Klaus's hand and spun around as a tan skinned woman around her age with dark brown wavy hair walked up to them. She looked battered and exhausted, yet relieved at the same time. "I don't suppose you imagined that always and forever would lead us to this."

Cassandra's eyes widened in surprise. She glanced at Klaus and saw he was coming to the same realization she was.

"Rebekah," he whispered with a pleased smile on his face.

Rebekah smiled back at him. "You absolutely not believe the week I've had."

* * *

"Good, you're awake," Finn murmured as Marcel regained consciousness and slowly lifted his head. He held the small dagger that had been in Marcel's hand and had his arm propped on top of the shelf next to where Marcel sat. "Now, just one more question."

"Okay," Marcel answered softly. "Let my guys go free, and I'll tell you whatever it is you want to know."

Finn chuckled softly. "How selfless. But, we've already established that you don't know anything of any consequence," he set down the dagger on the shelf he'd been leaning his arm against and moved so he was standing in front of Marcel. "However, it's a common belief among the werewolves that you were in fact the last person to see Niklaus's child alive. You were in possession of the baby's corpse. So, tell me, how exactly did the baby die?"

Marcel thought about it for a moment, but didn't answer. Finn wasn't surprised.

"Yet you don't remember," Finn continued on. "You don't remember because you were compelled to forget. Why would Niklaus compel away the truth from the vampire he thinks of as his adopted son? What besides a desire to protect his own daughter?"

In that moment, Marcel realized the same thing that Finn had, the only reason Klaus would have compelled him, and it was reflected in his eyes as they fluttered downward momentarily before meeting Finn's face again.

"She's still alive. And now, you and your vampires are gonna help me find her," Finn spoke in a low voice, a gleeful sparkle in his eyes.


	36. A Mikaelson Misdirection

**Hey guys! I'm back! I deeply, deeply apologize for the crazy-long wait. Sometimes life takes up so much time that there's not enough left to devote to writing. But, I'm here, and I'm incredibly optimistic that updates should be rolling out faster in the future. Someone called me out on Klaus forgiving Cassandra and that it happened too soon. I wanted to say that I humbly respect your opinion. It is a very valid argument. All I can say is I did what I felt was right at the time, and I stand by it. Now, with that said, I will leave you guys to the reading I know you're dying to do. Thank you so much for your patience with me. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 36 - A Mikaelson Misdirection**

"That is just _not_ my chin, Nik," Rebekah sighed as she sighed and stared at a portrait of herself in her original body hanging on the wall in the downstairs lounge. "It was much more delicate."

"The only delicate thing about you, sister, is your ego," Klaus poked at her.

Scoffing, Rebekah folded her arms and turned around to face him. "When placed beside the behemoth size of yours, certainly," she smirked. Her remark caused Klaus to let out a soft laugh.

Sitting on the small leather couch Rebekah and Klaus stood next to, Cassandra shook her head slightly. Rebekah had barely been back twenty minutes and she and Klaus were already picking on each other as siblings naturally do. Under any other circumstances, she would have laughed and agreed with Rebekah, but she was still processing everything Rebekah had shared with them.

"Could we dispense with this fascinating dispute for just a moment and return to the subject of our supposed long-lost sister?" Elijah's voice called out from Klaus's cell phone that was resting on a small end table beside the couch next to where Cassandra was seated. They had called him to tell him of Rebekah's return and so he could be privy to whatever she had to say about her experience.

Cassandra was completely dumbfounded after Rebekah told them she'd met a young woman claiming to be their oldest sister Freya. She told Rebekah that their Aunt Dahlia had cursed her to sleep for a hundred years at a time, then wake for one year. While Klaus and Elijah were still skeptical that she was who she claimed to be, Cassandra knew in her gut it was true. She couldn't believe they were going to have to deal with _another_ Mikaelson witch, and a first-born witch at that. She thought dealing with Esther and Finn had been bad enough. She had no idea how they'd be able to handle the likes of Freya.

"There's not much to discuss, Elijah," Rebekah's voice brought Cassandra's focus back onto the current conversation. "Said she was Freya then darted off into the night."

"And you believed her?" Elijah asked.

"I met the girl in a mystical loony bin. She could be anyone, telling any lie. But she did seem familiar somehow," Rebekah met Klaus's eyes.

"Then how is she still alive?" Klaus wanted to know. He rolled his eyes and shook his head as he started to anxiously pace around the room. "A question as ridiculous as its possible solutions given this family's annoying predilection for cheating death."

"I dunno, Nik," Rebekah sighed and shrugged. "I'm just telling you what she said."

Klaus turned back around to face her and began walking towards her. "Well, did you happen to ask if, by some similar miracle, our Aunt Dahlia lives as well?"

"I barely had a chance to process—" Rebekah started to explain, but Klaus quickly cut her off.

"Because on the list of obvious questions, it would be nice to know if the woman who placed a curse on the first-borns of this family is still breathing air!" Klaus grew louder until he was shouting in frustration.

"Well, let me turn back time and do it again to your liking then," Rebekah snapped at him.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Cassandra glared at them. She wasn't in the mood for their bantering.

"If she is who she says she, we'll find out soon enough," Elijah added in an authoritative voice. Klaus let out a breath and slowly nodded his head. "For now, it remains imperative no one learns of Hope's existence. _This_ has been our salvation thus far"

"Unless Hayley and her husband-to-be start flapping their gums," Klaus muttered in a low voice. Cassandra winced and pushed back the ping of guilt that rushed through her. "I should take preventative measures and separate them from their heads."

"Jack and Hayley will do nothing to jeopardize their wedding," Elijah replied coolly.

Rebekah looked from Klaus to Cassandra, her eyes wide in surprise. "Hayley's getting married? What in hell else did I miss?"

"Ask Cassandra," Klaus cast a glance in her direction as he picked up his phone. "I'm quite sure she'll be glad to fill you in." He ended the call with Elijah and headed up stairs.

Rebekah scurried over to the couch and took a seat beside Cassandra. "Okay, go. Catch me up."

Cassandra took a deep breath and let it back out. "Well, you already know about the wedding. Let's see, oh yeah, Finn is channeling both Mikael and Esther. Your plan worked like a charm. She's a vampire now."

"Well, I certainly didn't think Finn had that in him. I'd actually be impressed if he weren't trying to kill us all," Rebekah shook her head.

"Klaus said something similar," Cassandra chuckled. "And you already know about Esther bringing his father back to life."

"Yes," Rebekah murmured sadly. "He told me all about that during our drive back to the French Quarter. We do what we must to protect your sweet, innocent little girl."

"Yeah," Cassandra nodded. She let out a soft breath. "I guess that covers all the major stuff, well all the stuff that's relevant to what's currently going on."

"And the things that aren't relevant?" Rebekah raised a curious eyebrow. "What of those?"

"The most notable thing would be, well, I kind of, sort of made out with Elijah," Cassandra mumbled, looking down at her hands.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" Rebekah gasped, wide eyed.

"It happened after you and Klaus left the safe house," Cassandra sighed. "And before you ask, yes, I came clean to Klaus the next day and yes he was furious, rightly so, but he actually forgave me, believe it or not, and Elijah. Finn cast some kind of spell on your brothers, trapping them in some sort of alternate realm. I don't know the details of what happened there, but whatever it was affected Klaus in that he's not only forgiven me, but also Elijah."

"You're joking," Rebekah stared at her. "Klaus does not forgive."

"He did this time."

"That's bloody incredible."

"Believe me, I know. I still have to earn back his trust, though. Elijah too."

"That won't be easy, but if anyone can do it, it's you. Anything else I should know about?"

"I can honestly say that about covers it," Cassandra rested her hands in her lap.

"Remind me never to leave you all ever again," Rebekah shook her head with a soft laugh.

-o-

"Nik?" Rebekah called out to her older brother a little while later as she walked up the stairs to the second floor with Cassandra following behind her. He came walking down the hall toward them holding his phone up to his ear and lowered his arm as he reached them.

"That was Aiden," he told them, waving his phone slightly. He turned around and headed back to the study with Rebekah and Cassandra trailing after him. "Finn has Marcel."

"What?" Rebekah gasped. "Why?"

"I don't know," Klaus raised his arms in frustration. "I don't know where they are, what they are doing or what specifically to do about it," he growled. He stopped in front of the fireplace in the study and picked up a stone statue, holding it for half a second before setting it back down with a loud _thunk_. "This family makes me want to murder people," he murmured softly as he raised his head.

Cassandra walked up to him and placed her hands gently on his shoulders. She didn't know what to say to him, but she needn't have said anything. He raised a hand and placed it on top of hers as he relaxed his shoulders.

"I see my timing is as impeccable as usual," Kol's voice called out into the room causing Klaus, Cassandra, and Rebekah to spin around and find him standing in the doorway.

"Well, the traitor thinks he can just waltz in here like he's welcome," Klaus stepped forward, appalled that Kol had the nerve to show his face at the compound after what he had done to Rebekah.

"As gracious as your apology better be, you're still getting one hell of a slap!" Rebekah growled as she lunged at him.

"Wait," Kol held out a hand, stopping Rebekah in her tracks. "I understand the irony of what I'm about to say. But I came here because I need your help."

A wide grin spread across Klaus's face as he started laughing, while Rebekah's rage continued to grow. "Figure out how to undo your wicked little body swap, and then we can talk about help!" She spat at him.

Kol walked past her, ignoring her remark as he continued to speak to Klaus. "Look, you don't understand, Nik. Finn has locked me in this body. No more jumping," he looked from Klaus to Rebekah to Cassandra. "He's put a curse on me. I am dying."

Klaus eyed him skeptically while Rebekah simply folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. Kol let out a scoff. "You don't believe me," he realized. He quickly turned his focus to Cassandra, pleading with his eyes for her help convincing his siblings. "Cassandra, please. You know I'm not making this up, right?"

"I—" Cassandra started to say.

"You're hardly the champion of truth-telling," Klaus spoke in a lower voice, cutting her off.

"Of course," Kol sighed. "Why would a brother expect his siblings to leap to his aid."

"Oh, spare me the pity party, Kol" Klaus growled in annoyance. "Your recent actions merit a certain allowance for disbelief."

"Look, I know what I've done," Kol shouted back in frustration. He turned to Rebekah. "But I won't apologize for trying to pull one over on you, Bex," he stepped closer to her. "You deserved it. But I don't deserve to die! Certainly not at the hands of my own family."

Klaus grabbed Kol by the arm and spun him around to face him. "What kind of con are you paying?" He hissed in a low, menacing voice.

Kol smacked Klaus's arm away and slowly met his eyes. "The con I hate the most. The truth."

"He's not lying," Rebekah moved towards them, looking Klaus in the eyes. "Even as a boy, Kol never lied once called out on the act. He may play dirty pool, but," she shifted her gaze onto Kol. "He's not lying."

"I believe him, too," Cassandra murmured softly. Klaus turned to her, staring at her momentarily in surprise before turning back to Kol. He sneered at Kol for a long moment before turning around and walking toward the fireplace.

"Nik," Kol charged after him. "I was helping Marcel for Davina. Finn has got him." Klaus stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to face him. "He's trying to get a secret out of him. Something he thinks Marcel knows about you."

As the words left Kol's mouth, Cassandra's eyes slowly widened. She stared at Klaus who briefly met her eyes with the same anxiousness that she felt. The look did not go unnoticed by Kol who glanced from his brother to Cassandra who quickly looked down at a spot on the floor before carefully glancing up again.

Kol glanced back at Klaus and nodded his head slightly. "He's right, isn't he?"

"Marcel doesn't know anything about anything," Klaus answered in a soft, cold voice.

"Well, you better hope that that's true. Because believe me, Finn has the means to get it out of him," Kol warned them.

* * *

Bright sunlight basked the otherwise dark attic at Saint Louis Cathedral through a large window with horizontal blinds wide open. On the floor, Marcel and his posse of vampires all laid unconscious inside magical salt circles. Marcel awoke and lifted his head to look around. His eyes landed on Gia who lay a foot or so away from him. Pushing himself up slightly, he army-crawled over to her.

"I know you're in there," he whispered to her. "Whatever Finn has in store, we're gonna get through this together."

"It's that can-do spirit that makes you the perfect choice," Finn spoke as he carefully made his way around the group of vampires towards Marcel. "I have a job for you."

"I don't think so," Marcel turned him down as he slowly pushed himself onto his knees.

Finn nodded his head in understanding and casually started to look around the room. He turned around and saw a broken table leg on the floor. He picked it up and slammed into the heart of the closest vampire, killing them.

"Really?" He turned back around to face Marcel who stared at him, horrified at what he'd just done. "You care to reconsider?" To further prove his point, Finn raised his hand and magically ripped out the heart of another vampire who sat propped up against the wall, his heart flying across the room into Finn's hand. Marcel glanced back at his fallen comrade before meeting Finn's eyes, his panic growing by the second.

Finn lazily let the vampire heart roll off his hand and onto the floor with a loud splat. He tightened his jaw and pressed his lips firmly together as his gaze fell upon the female vampire on the other side of Marcel, the vampire he'd been whispering to. He raised his hand, preparing to magically rip her heart out like he had the last vampire.

Marcel turned his head toward her, realizing what Finn was about to do, . "What do you want me to do?" He raised his hand to stop Finn and carefully stood to his feet.

"It's simple, really," Finn lowered his arm. "I need you to bring me Cassandra's blood.

* * *

Kol and Rebekah leaned over a small round table in the courtyard where they'd set up a map of New Orleans and placed candles, salt, and herbs all around it. Cassandra sat in a chair next to Rebekah, watching their movements while Klaus leaned back against a wall a few yards away. As Rebekah used a long match to light each of the candles, Kol glanced up at Klaus.

"So, what is the secret, anyway?" He looked from Klaus to Cassandra.

"The term 'secret' implies something only known by those who have earned the right to be aware of it," Klaus murmured in a bored tone. He stood up and turned toward them, shifting to a more commanding voice. "Start the spell."

"Well, it's easier said than done," Kol explained as he sprinkled the herbs in a particular spot on the map. "Finn is channeling the power from our parents. He's a lot stronger than some week-old witch and I can do."

"Now, hang on," Rebekah protested. "I might not be trained, but I—" she stopped as a gust of wind she'd magically produced from her emotionally charged outburst blew out the candles she'd lit and everything else she and Kol had placed on the map. He set the jar of herbs he'd been holding down with a loud thunk.

"Blast," Rebekah murmured as she slowly sat down in the chair she'd previously been sitting in.

"What if you channeled me?" Cassandra glanced from Rebekah to Kol. "I'm a hybrid. I'm strong. I may not be an original, but I've still got power."

"Absolutely not," Klaus growled as he strode over to the table.

"But.—"

"I said no, Cassandra, and that's final."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with Nik, Cassandra," Kol murmured softly, drawing her attention back on to him. "I appreciate the offer, but I won't put you in that position. I'm sorry, darling."

"Okay, I get it," Cassandra sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "It was only a suggestion."

"We need a stronger witch. Call Davina," Klaus told his brother.

"No," Cassandra and Kol both spoke at the same time.

"I don't want her getting involved in this. I don't trust her to not find a way to turn the tables try anything to take you down again," Cassandra argued against the idea.

Kol stood up and walked over to Klaus. "I don't want her to know that I'm sick."

"Then do a better bloody job," Klaus growled.

"I just need _time_ ," Kol hissed softly.

Klaus rolled his eyes impatiently. "The spell that Finn cast to lock you in your body, do you remember it?"

"Well, I was a little distracted by the murder-y part," Kol mumbled.

"If we can use his own spell against him, once he's locked in his body I can end our collective woes with a brief snap of the neck," he cast a glance in Cassandra and Rebekah's direction. Both were sporting tiny smiles at the thought of Finn being out of their hair once and for all. "All I need to do," Klaus looked back at Kol with a small smile of his own. "Is pull it from your memory."

"Oh, no, no, no," Kol raised his hand and backed up as he shook his head. "I am not allowing anybody into my mind. Do you understand?"

Cassandra slowly stood up. "Kol, what if I did it? Would that be better?"

He turned his head toward her. "Sorry, darling. My head is off limits to _everyone_. That includes you."

"You came into _my_ home," Klaus hissed in a soft voice as he walked towards Kol. "Asking for _my_ help." He stopped when he reached Kol and held out his arms as he smiled. "This is it." Kol remained silent as he stared warily at Klaus. "It's not a request."

Klaus lunged at Kol as soon as the words left his lips and grabbed the sides of his head with both hands. A memory instantly flashed in his head. Kol was with Cassandra in her room back in Mystic Falls. He stroked her forehead and leaned in, kissing her gently on the lips.

A second memory appeared, where Kol stood in front of Cassandra in her room, compelling her to answer his questions.

"Do you feel the connection between us as I do?" Kol's voice echoed in Klaus's mind.

"Yes," Cassandra answered robotically.

Klaus jumped to another memory, a more recent one. Kol was in the Claire tomb with Davina, and he was showing her the silver dagger he'd stolen from Klaus centuries ago.

"I've wanted one thing for years, to drive a dagger into his heart," Kol murmured.

Klaus gasped as he came out of the memory and into the present time. Kol pushed him away with a loud grunt and leaned over as he caught his breath. When he started to slowly lift his head, he found Klaus glaring at him in wild fury.

"See," Kol slowly raised a hand. "I'm guessing just by the look on your face, that it worked."

Klaus snarled as he lunged at Kol and threw him with supernatural strength against the wall behind him. Kol yelled as his forehead smacked the edge of wall before he landed on the ground.

"Klaus!" Cassandra jumped to her feet. "What did you see?"

"What did I see?" Klaus spoke in a low voice as he glanced from Kol to Cassandra. "I saw Kol kissing you whilst the two of you sat on your bed. Then I saw him compelling you when he asked you if you felt the connection between the two of you as he did, and your answer to it."

"Oh my god," Cassandra whispered and covered her mouth with her hand.

"But that's not the worst part," Klaus was seething as he turned toward Kol who had pushed himself up in a sitting position and leaned back against the wall. "You come simpering for brotherly love and the whole time you're plotting against me with that damn dagger," Klaus yelled at his younger brother. "You're no better than Finn."

"What?" Cassandra snapped and turned to glare at Kol. "I knew it! I knew you and Davina were up to something! Damn it, Kol!"

"Ah, and you threatening me makes you better than Finn, does it?" Kol challenged.

"Both of you, just stop it," Rebekah sighed as she stood up and walked over to them.

Cassandra was about to do the same when her phone buzzed inside her jeans pocket. She pulled it out and stared in surprise at the new message from Marcel. _I need to talk to you. It's important. Meet me at Jackson Square. Do not tell Klaus._

She blinked in surprise and reread the message before sending a quick reply to let him know she'd be there. She stuffed her phone back into her pocket and slowly began to shuffle backwards while Klaus remained focused on Kol. She would have loved to give Kol a piece of her mind along with Klaus, but she was far too curious about whatever it was Marcel wanted to talk to her about. Plus, considering he'd been his prisoner, he had to know where they could find Finn.

Once she was far enough away, she whooshed through the corridor to the gate and out onto Royal Street. She continued speeding down the street until she reached Jackson Square, a couple of blocks away. Marcel was waiting for her by the entrance on St. Ann St.

"Okay, remember our friendship when I tell you why I'm here," Marcel told her in a calm voice. Cassandra nodded and waited for him to continue. "Finn sent me to get your blood?"

"Why would Finn want my blood?" Cassandra narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"I assume he needs it for a locator spell. To find your daughter," Marcel told her.

Cassandra's stomach dropped and her heart speeded up as she processed Marcel's words. "No," she let out a shaky breath. "How does he know?"

"He put two and to together," Marcel answered calmly.

"Where's Finn now?"

"I dunno. He said he'd tell me where to meet him later. Listen, I gotta give him something. He's killing one of my guys every hour til he gets it."

"Damn it!" Cassandra hissed softly as panic and dread festered inside of her. "I have to tell Klaus. But we still need a way to stall Finn so he won't keep killing your guys." She started tapping the top of her legs with her finger tips until an idea popped into her head. "I've got it." She paused and quickly pulled out her phone, dialing a number before placing it against her ear.

"Hayley," she spoke a moment later. "It's Cass. I need a huge favor." She quickly explained the situation and presented her idea to Hayley who was immediately on board with it. "Okay, good. I'm sending Marcel out there to you, so be ready for him. And thank you for this."

As she hung up and repocketed her phone, she explained the idea to Marcel. "Hayley's waiting for you with her blood. Hopefully this will buy us enough time to find where Finn is hiding so we can stop him before he leaves town."

"Got it," Marcel nodded in understanding and took off for the Bayou.

Cassandra took off and raced back to the compound as fast as she could. When she entered the courtyard, she found Klaus standing alone gazing at his phone. Both Rebekah and Kol seemed to have disappeared. A second later she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. Hearing the noise, Klaus spun around.

"Where'd you run off to?" He asked as he tapped his phone again, making the buzzing from her phone stop which confirmed he'd been calling her.

"Marcel asked me to meet him," she spoke quickly as she approached him. Worry filled her face. "Finn wanted him to get my blood. He knows Hope is alive. He's looking for her."

Klaus's face contorted in a mixture of anger and worry. Tightening his jaw, he pulled up Elijah's phone number and dialed it. He began to pace around as he waited for Elijah to answer. When his voicemail came on, Klaus hung up with a growl and called again. By the fourth attempt, Rebekah had reappeared from upstairs, wondering what the commotion was about. Cassandra quickly filled her in.

"Pick up the damn phone, Elijah! Finn's trying to find Hope," Klaus growled into the phone.

"She's safe," Rebekah tried her best to reassure her brother and Cassandra once he'd ended his call. "It'll take a hundred witches to break the cloaking spell."

"I would've said the same thing about mother finding you," Klaus turned around to face her with his hands raised. "And yet a flock of starlings later and here we are."

"We all know how powerful Finn is right now thanks to your parents. If he finds the safe house before we've been able to warn Elijah and Cami, he's...he's gonna," Cassandra trailed off and covered her mouth as she fought to suppress a sob. Klaus's face softened, and he walked over to her, pulling her into his arms.

"Elijah will keep them safe," Klaus murmured softly as ran his hands up and down her arms.

"We won't let him get to her, but you both need to remain calm," Rebekah gently told them.

"Our brother doesn't do calm," Kol shouted as he came storming into the courtyard. Rebekah turned around to face him and froze as Kol threw a fistful of powder at her face. Her eyes fluttered shut as she swayed on her feet until she toppled down to the floor unconscious.

Klaus spun around and stepped in front of Cassandra, blocking her, and started to step toward Kol. Kol held his hand outstretched and his fingers spread wide as he cast another spell on Klaus, making him begin to cough up blood.

"Klaus!" Cassandra shrieked as he leaned over and let the blood spill out of his mouth onto the ground with a loud groan. She held on to him and looked up at Kol who shook with rage as he clutched a large paragon diamond in his other hand, using it to strengthen his spell. Klaus slowly raised his head and flashed his hybrid face at Kol as he growled in fury.

"Oh, you're angry are you?" Kol bellowed after seeing Klaus's face change. "Well, join the party. I'VE BEEN HERE A THOUSAND YEARS!"

Klaus lunged at Kol, but Kol hit him with another spell, stopping him in his tracks and sending him to his knees.

"Kol, why are you doing this? Please, stop!" Cassandra begged. She started to walk towards him when he snapped his head up to look at her.

"Do not move, Cassandra," he ordered. "I do not wish to hurt you, but I will if I have to. This is between my brother and me." He continued hammering Klaus until he was on all fours, his head hanging down as a stream of blood continued to flow out of his mouth onto the ground. "I was building that dagger to protect myself against you, Nik." He started to pace around Klaus in a circle. "I'm not the bad guy in this chapter of our family's story. I'm the wronged. I'm the dead but never mourned. And whilst you got _everything_ that you wanted, including Cassandra whom you've never deserved, I got a family didn't care if I lived or if I died."

"Oh, shut up," Klaus growled and grabbed Kol by the throat, vamp-speeding him backwards until he had him pinned back against the wall. "WE'VE ALL SUFFERED! WE'VE ALL BEEN WRONGED!"

"Go on," Kol gasped for breath as Klaus squeezed his throat harder. "Go on, finish it off. Go on, kill me!"

Klaus sneered at him as his entire body shook with rage. Cassandra rushed over to intervene, but she needn't have worried. As she reached Klaus, he let go of Kol and sent him down to the floor. "I'm not gonna kill you, you idiot. Despite your behavior, you're still my brother."

"Yeah, just the one you dagger, repeatedly," Kol mumbled as Klaus started to walk away.

"I've daggered all of you!" Klaus yelled as he turned back to Kol. "Each for your own good. If you don't agree with my motives, fine. I never claimed to be the bastion of temperance. But stop this drivel about being singled out and unloved. _You_ are a _Mikaelson!_ You're _my_ blood!" Klaus knelt down in front of Kol. "And I need you," he softened his voice. "I need you by my side."

"So do I," Cassandra murmured as she came to a stop beside Klaus and knelt down to be at Kol's eye level. She took a deep breath and stretched out her hand, placing it on top of his. "I mourned you, Kol. I found out from Caroline about what Elena and Jeremy did an hour after we bumped into each other in town. You may have seen me that next day when I came to their house, but when I first found out, I was so shocked, and not just because I'd just spoken to you. I was shocked because your death made me realize I really did care about you. We could be good friends if you stopped trying so hard to come between me and Klaus," she let out a faint chuckle. "You're my family, too. And as much as I hate to actually say this because I know you'll never let me forget it, I need you by my side, too."

Kol stared at both of them for a long moment. "What does it even mean? Hmm? You two talk about family, family this, family that. I haven't even earned the right to share your secrets, have I?"

"No, you haven't," Klaus whispered. "But by all means, brother, prove yourself. It's not too late." He held his hand out to Kol. Kol eyed it for a moment, then placed his own hand into his brother's, allowing Klaus to pull him to his feet. Cassandra quickly stood up at the same time.

"Finn wants your blood," Kol told Klaus with a nod of his head. "He promised to heal me if I delivered it."

"You know where he is?" Klaus asked.

"You've gotta tell me why he wants it," Kol pleaded. Klaus turned away, scoffing softly.

"Look, Nik," Kol continued, forcing Klaus to turn back toward him. "You gotta trust me, for once in your life, and I will stand by your side. Yours and Cassandra's. I promise."

"You would risk your life to help me, help us?" Klaus eyed him skeptically.

"I know enough about dark magic to know that I'm hexed," Kol sighed. His words caught Klaus and Cassandra off guard, and it showed in their faces. "There's no reversing what Finn's done to me. Which makes him a murderer and a liar. And I'm gonna die, I'll be damned if he gets what he wants."

"Klaus," Cassandra murmured softly, grabbing his attention. "I think we should tell him. He'll help us in any way he can. I know he will."

Klaus thought about it for a moment, then slowly nodded his head and shifted his gaze back to Kol. "Finn has been dead to me for a long time. Tonight, I intend to make that official. Help me and Cassandra, then we will share our secret with you."

"He'll be in the bell tower of the Saint Louis Cathedral," Kol answered slowly. He reached for Klaus's arms and placed his hands on the sides of his head. "Go inside my head. Find the spell. Let's finish this."

Cassandra winced as Kol let out a loud yell when Klaus used his vampire power to go inside his head. It didn't take long for him to find the spell and release Kol. As Kol caught his breath, Rebekah came to and slowly crawled back onto her feet. Cassandra quickly filled her in on what happened, and together the three of them took off for the cathedral. When they walked into the bell tower, they were disappointed to find that Finn wasn't there. All that remained was a small table with remnants of a recent spell.

"Well, where is he?" Klaus stopped beside the table and turned around to face Kol. "Is this a trick?"

"He said he'd be here, I swear," Kol was adamant about it. He began to look around, his eyes instantly landing on the table. "This is the remnant of a spell. Ancient. It's impressive."

"Admire it's artistry later," Klaus spat impatiently. "Tell me what he set in motion."

Rebekah had walked over to a latter that had been set up near the wall and climbed up a few legs to get a better look. "Kol," she gained his attention then pointed at something on the table. "What is that?"

He stepped up to the table for a closer look and picked up a burnt piece of wood barely sticking out from under a pile of ash. He brushed it off and held it tightly in his hands. Bowing his head, he closed his eyes and muttered the incantation to a spell. When he was done, he opened his hands to reveal the wood had become whole and unburnt.

"Runic tiles," Rebekah murmured. "What's it mean?"

"It's a symbol," Kol stared at it. "For baby."

Klaus glanced behind Kol at Cassandra, exchanging a somber look with her. She swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat as Kol glanced from her to Klaus, noticing their silent exchange. Kol's eyes slowly widened when he realized what the runic tile meant.

"That's it, isn't it?" He whispered, glancing back and forth from Klaus to Cassandra. "Your baby's still alive."

"Yes," Cassandra whispered.

"Finn tricked us into running about all day thinking he was looking for a way to find Hope," Rebekah climbed down the ladder and joined them by the table.

"When he knew where she was all along," Klaus finished. He yanked his phone out of his jacket and called Elijah again.

Cassandra took a deep breath to keep herself calm and took out her phone to call Cami. When Cami didn't answer she let out a low growl. She looked up at Klaus and could tell he'd finally connected with Elijah. She walked over and stood next to him.

"Cami's not answering," she told him with a voice full of worry once he'd finished speaking to Elijah.

"Elijah will protect them," Rebekah tried to reassure them.

"Finn is channeling both our parents. He's too strong," Klaus argued. "We need to find a way to sever his link." He paused and glanced at Kol. "How do we do that?"

"I can't sever the link," Kol regretfully informed them. But he wasn't without another plan. "But there _is_ something that we can try." He turned to Rebekah. "It will take power of our own. And a lot of it."

-o-

"We can't get in without Finn's blood," Kol explained as he and Rebekah set up candles outside the Lyonne tomb in Lafayette Cemetary a little while later.

"Well, how do we disrupt Finn from channeling our parents _in there_ if we can't get even get to the bloody binding circle?" Rebekah asked, not bothering to hide the doubt in her voice.

"We're not here to disrupt Finn's power, we're tryin' to overload it," Kol glanced her way as he finished placing all of the candles on the ground.

"Are you daft? You want to make him stronger?"

Kol stood to his feet and walked up to her. "Look, a witch can only ever channel so much power. After that, things start to get ugly. You literally start to disintegrate from the inside. He'll either have to release the power or…or let it kill him."

"He won't be dead, he'll just body jump."

"Yes, into a body three hundred miles away from a niece that he's tryin' to nab."

Rebekah laughed softy as a smile appeared on her face. "In case you're wondering, this is the side of you I like."

"Look, I um," Kol stammered, looking down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "I'm gonna get you back in your body, Bex. If it's the last thing I do. I promise."

Rebekah smiled again. "Right now, I just worry about how in blazes I'm gonna be any use to you whatsoever when I know nothing about magic."

"You don't need to know anything about magic. I'm just gonna have to channel you," Kol told her. A moment later Cassandra arrived with Klaus who was carrying a duffel bag. "Did you get me what I asked for?" He asked them as Klaus dropped the bag at Kol's feet.

"Mystical artifacts and dark objects galore," Klaus nodded. "From my own personal collection garnered over a thousand years.

Kol knelt down and opened the duffel to examine the artifacts. As he rifled through it and held up a long chord with a feather on the end, he glanced up at Klaus. "I wondered where this had gone. Half this stuff is mine."

"Come on, Kol. Just be grateful he's going along with this," Cassandra sighed.

"There's more," Klaus reached into his jacket and pulled out the white oak stake.

Kol slowly stood up as Klaus held it out to him. "You would entrust me with this?" He stared at his brother in awe.

"Whatever you need," Klaus slowly placed the indestructible stake in Kol's hand. "Whatever it takes."

"All right," Kol whispered, nodding his head. "Let's get started."

He walked over to the tomb and set the stake on top of table set up as an altar. He placed one hand on the tomb door and held his other hand out to Rebekah. She placed one hand in his and the other on the door as he did. As they closed their eyes and began to chant, Cassandra moved over to stand beside Klaus and slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. He gave her hand a small squeeze as they watched Kol and Rebekah.

A moment later they both jerked backwards away from the tomb. A small amount of blood began to trickle down from Kol's nose because of how hard he was doing magic.

"We're close," Kol exhaled. "We just need something to put it over the top."

Klaus brought Cassandra's hand up to his face and brushed his lips gently against the back of her hand before releasing it and stepping forward to Kol. "Take me."

"What?" Cassandra squeaked.

Klaus turned so he was talking to both her and Kol. "I am a vampire-werewolf hybrid with ten centuries of blood on my hands. Channel me."

"No, Nik" Kol murmured, shaking his head.

"Klaus," Cassandra whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

"I will be alright, sweetheart. I promise," he spoke softly to reassure her before fully facing Kol again and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You wanted my trust, brother? Here it is." He grabbed the Papa Tunde blade from a pile of artifacts on the alter and placed it in Kol's hands. "Do not fail me."

Cassandra covered her mouth with her hands as Klaus dropped to his knees and surrendered himself to Kol. Using the tip of the blade, Kol carved the channeling symbol into Klaus's forehead. Once his skin turned grey and veiny, a confirmation that Kol was now channeling his power, he and Rebekah carefully laid him on the ground and placed their hands on the tomb door.

"Please work," Cassandra murmured under her breath as Kol and Rebekah resumed their spell to overload Finn. The mausoleum they were in began to shake as power flowed from Kol and Rebekah into the tomb where Mikael and Esther where, and then through them into Finn. Kol and Rebekah became so overwhelmed by the power that they began to scream until they were both thrown backwards onto the ground. Before Cassandra could ask if they were okay, Rebekah scrambled to her feet and ran over to Kol.

"You're a genius," she pulled him back up to his feet and hugged him tightly. "You glorious bastard."

"I'm a little surprised it worked myself," Kol hugged her back. He started to laugh when he was overcome with a coughing fit. He backed away from her and doubled over as his coughing intensified.

"Kol?" Rebekah murmured, her eyes filling with worry. She pulled him back up so she could look him in the eyes and gripped his shoulders. "Listen. I am _not_ going to let you die. You hear me? Whatever it takes."

"Hey," Cassandra walked over to join them. "Me either. You proved yourself tonight and helped protect my daughter." She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, allowing her cheek to rest against his. "Now it's our turn to help you."

"Thank you," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her. "Both of you."

They pulled apart and moved over to Klaus's side so Kol could release him from the channeling spell. Once he woke, Cassandra and Rebekah helped him sit up and lean back against the alter table while he caught his breath.

"Tell me it worked," Klaus glanced from Rebekah to Kol.

"We did our bit," Kol smiled. "I promise Finn is back to being a normal, regular strength, maniacal bastard."

Klaus let out a sigh of relief. "I know in the last millennium we haven't always seen eye to eye. He paused and slowly stood to his feet. "Family is power." He placed a hand on Kol and Rebekah's shoulders. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kol murmured.

"Speaking of Elijah…" Cassandra spoke softly.

"He will prevail. Of that I have no doubt," Klaus reassured her as much as he could.

Cassandra nodded in understanding and flashed him a small smile. He started to step towards her when her phone began to buzz from inside her pocket. Letting out a breath of air, she pulled it out and glanced at the screen before answering it. "Caroline. Hey. You will not believe the day I've—"

"Cass, you need to come home," Caroline blurted the words out. "It's mom. She's dying."


	37. A Crescent Wedding

**Chapter 37 - A Crescent Wedding**

 _"Cass, you need to come home," Caroline blurted the words out. "It's mom. She's dying."_

"Wait, what?" Cassandra blinked in surprise, unsure if she'd heard correctly. "Did you just say mom's dying?"

"Yes," Caroline fought back tears as she spoke. "She has a brain tumor. It started out on her brainstem and spread to her spine. They can't operate and it's spreading too quickly for chemo to work effectively."

"Vampire blood?" Cassandra pinched her eyes shut. She couldn't fathom the idea of her own mother being a vampire, but if it meant she would be alive, she didn't care.

"It won't work either. I tried it on a patient who was sick with the same cancer mom has. All it did was speed up the growth of the tumors, killing him over and over. There's nothing anyone can do. Look, I am so, so, so, so sorry for not telling you sooner. I thought if I could find a way to save her then I could spare you considering everything you're dealing with right now, but I couldn't."

Cassandra's eyes popped open. "Wait. How long have you known about this?"

"A couple of months now. Since the holidays," Caroline whispered.

"A c-couple of months?" Cassandra's heart began beating faster. "A couple of months?! You've known she's had terminal cancer for a couple of months and you're just now getting around to tell me? How could you?! She's my mother, too, Caroline! You had no right to keep this from me!" Her eyes filled with tears as she yelled into her phone.

"I know, and I'm so, so sorry," Caroline was crying.

"So help me, Caroline, if she dies before I get there to introduce her to her granddaughter and say goodbye, I will _never_ forgive you!" Cassandra screamed into the phone.

She pulled the phone away from her face and hung up before Caroline could respond, then stared at the blank screen. A sob made its way up her throat, making her cover her mouth as it left her lips. She swayed on her feet, but before she crumbled to the floor Klaus was there to catch her in his arms.

"I've got you, love," he murmured softly as he spun her around and engulfed her in a warm embrace. She slid her phone into her pocket and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face against his chest as her body shook with sob after sob.

Eventually, he began to guide her away from the cemetery and down the quiet street back to the compound. Cassandra walked in a daze, numb from the news of her mother's terminal illness. She was unaware of her phone as it started to buzz in her pocket. Klaus heard it, and when she made no move to pull it out, he carefully reached over and slid two fingers down into her pocket, using them like tweezers to pull it out. After seeing who the caller was, he answered it and brought it up to his ear.

"Hayley," he spoke in a soft voice. "Cassandra is unfortunately unable to take your call at the moment. May I give her a message for you?" He paused, listening to what she had to say. "Really? Well I happen to think that is a splendid idea. The sooner the better. In fact, I might know of the perfect place to host an extravagant event on such short notice. Give me a couple of hours to look into it and I'll get back to you on the details." He hung up a moment later and put the phone back into Cassandra's pocket.

When they arrived at the compound, Klaus led Cassandra upstairs the parlor room and sat her down on the leather couch. He walked over to the small wet bar and poured some bourbon into a glass. He brought it back over to Cassandra and handed it to her. She took it and sipped it slowly, letting the liquid warm her insides. Klaus sat down next to her and started to reach for her hand when his phone began to ring. He let out a sigh and pulled out his phone from his inside jacket pocket.

"Elijah," he murmured, leaning back against the couch once he'd answered the call.

Cassandra's ears perked up slightly at the mention of Elijah's name. She tuned in, listening to his voice as he described what had happened. Finn had found him at the safe house, but Cami had been out at the time with Hope. The house was now a pile of ash due to Elijah causing an explosion after Finn magically propelled him into a wall which broke a gas pipe. Now he and Cami were headed back to the compound with Hope. Cassandra perked up at this and calmly set her empty glass on the small coffee table before whooshing out of the room.

She didn't stop until she was in the bedroom, standing in front of the closet door. She opened it and pulled out a duffle bag. She opened it up and grabbed a couple of shirts that were hanging up in the closet, quickly stuffing them inside, before whooshing over to the dresser. She was in the process of putting a couple pairs of folded jeans into the duffle when Klaus walked into the room.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked calmly as he walked across the room to her.

"Elijah said they're on the road," she briefly glanced at him in between her movements. "I'm gonna meet them half way and get my daughter so I can take her home to meet her grandmother before it's too late." Klaus started to open his mouth to protest, but Cassandra slammed the dresser drawer shut and pointed a finger at him. "Do not tell me that it's not safe. I'll tell you what's not safe. Blowing up a house just to keep your evil brother from finding her."

"We will deal with Finn," Klaus told her in a firm voice.

"And then what?" She sipped up the duffle bag and walked towards him. "Every time you kill him, he's just gonna jump into another body.

"We tried running. We tried hiding. Neither will work."

"So, what's your bright idea?"

"As it happens, I'm working on a plan as we speak, one which will be bolstered greatly if you just _calm down_ and listen to me for a moment."

Cassandra started shaking her head back and forth as she raised voice to speak over him. "Do _not_ manage me. I have every right to freak out."

"Hayley and Jackson are getting married, an act which will seal the loyalty of all the wolves that answer to Finn, thanks in large part to you. You must attend, and moreover, they will want you there. Then," he paused and reached for her free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You can take our daughter to Mystic Falls to meet her grandmother." She nodded and allowed him to take the duffle bag from her other hand. "I'm making arrangements to have the ceremony here. Tonight. Why don't you take a hot bath and get some rest. Elijah and Camille won't arrive for some time with Hope."

Cassandra couldn't deny that it wasn't a bad idea. She walked around him to the luxurious bathroom and turned on the water in the clawfoot tub. As it began to fill, she added her favorite bath salts and slowly began undressing. She didn't wait for the tub to fill before getting in, instead stepping into the tub and lowering herself until she was laying down, allowing the water to slowly cover her body as it rose. The warmth of the water along with the soothing scents of lavender and vanilla relaxed both her body and her mind, allowing her to give in to the rest her body desperately needed.

-o-

Cassandra and Hayley both let out heavy sighs as they stood side by side in front of an enormous closet later in the afternoon, thumbing through the dresses hanging inside. Hayley had come to the compound early to get Cassandra's help with finding a dress to wear for the wedding. Cassandra had jumped at the chance, but that was before she knew what abysmal choices Hayley had to choose from. None of them were right for a bride to wear.

"Alright," Rebekah appeared in the bedroom doorway and leaned to the side. "Bad news first. Hayley, I will have to miss your nuptials. My brother Kol has a bit of a life-and-death matter needs help with."

"Oh no," Cassandra whispered. "Is he—"

"It's nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about, Cassandra," Rebekah shook her head. "It's witch business, which now seems to be my thing. Besides, you have enough to deal with right now. On that note, I have something for you, Hayley. I had a feeling you weren't going to have something suitable to wear on such short notice so," she paused and moved her left arm into the room, revealing a beautiful white lace wedding dress that she'd been hiding behind the door frame. Hayley and Cassandra's eyes widened in surprise as she held it up. "It's white, which won't fool anyone, but you can't get married in skinny jeans and combat boots."

"Oh! Rebekah, this is…wow," Hayley stammered softly as Rebekah handed her the dress.

"It's beautiful," Cassandra smiled.

"Thank you," Hayley beamed at her. She walked over to the floor length mirror and held the dress up against her body to see how it looked.

"Well, consider it my wedding gift to you. I happen to be the only woman alive who's commissioned wedding dresses in five different centuries. Never made it down the aisle of course. Perhaps this one," she turned to Cassandra. "Will be able to do the impossible and get my brother to tie the knot one day. When you do, I have the perfect dress for you, too."

Cassandra felt her cheeks grow warm as she smiled. "Well, you know it's not too late for you. From what I understand, Marcel is still single."

"Have you told him yet that you're you?" Hayley asked after hanging up the dress from the top of the mirror.

"I thought I'd hold off on that for the moment. It only complicates matters, and I'm not exactly sure how long this," Rebekah motioned at her body. "Is going to last."

"Right," Hayley chuckled softly.

"Well," Rebekah smiled. "I'll leave you to it. Congratulations, Hayley."

"Thanks," Hayley murmured as Rebekah turned around and walked out of the room.

A little while later Cassandra and Hayley greeted Jackson as he arrived at the compound. Together, the group of three strolled around the huge ballroom, watching decorators set up for the upcoming wedding.

"Oh, we so do not belong in your world, Cassandra," Jackson exhaled deeply as he took everything in.

"Hey," Cassandra scoffed softly. "This is in no way _my_ world. This is the Mikaelsons world. Then again, I would not put it past my sister to go all out like this so…I guess maybe it is a little bit my world."

"Like I said," Jackson chuckled softly. A moment passed, then his faced softened. "How're you holdin' up? Klaus told us about your mom. If you need to miss the wedding—"

"It's okay," Cassandra held up a hand. "I'm…coping. I want to be at your wedding. I'll see my mom tomorrow. I already smoothed things over with my sister and made plans to surprise our mom. It's going to be fine."

Jackson and Hayley nodded in understanding. Before they could say anything more, Klaus strolled into the courtyard.

"Cassandra," he called out as he walked toward them with his hands resting comfortably behind his back. "If I might intrude, there's someone who wishes to say hello."

Cassandra shared a blank look with Hayley and Cassandra before eyeing Klaus curiously. She took off, heading past Klaus with Jackson, Hayley, and Klaus following behind her. As they walked out into the courtyard, her eyes landed on Elijah and Cami who were walking towards them. Cami held Hope in her arms and smiled at Cassandra as she and Elijah came to a stop a couple of feet away from her. She smiled back and glanced from Cami to Elijah who nodded encouragingly. She smiled back and turned to Cami, grinning as she stretched out her hands, carefully taking Hope into her arms. Hope squealed in delight and smiled at Cassandra, making her and Cami giggle. She turned around and slowly walked over to Hayley and Jackson who had hung back by the stairs. They grinned as she approached them.

"Hope," Cassandra grinned back as she came to a stop in front of them. "These are my very good friends Hayley and Jackson. Hayley and Jackson, this is Hope."

Jackson slowly stretched his hand out toward Hope. She squealed and placed her tiny hand on top of his long finger, almost as if to shake it. "She's beautiful, Cassandra."

"Thank you," Cassandra beamed.

While the three of them continued to become acquainted with Hope, Klaus disappeared to the parlor room upstairs. He stood in front of the wet bar and poured himself a shot of bourbon which he proceeded to drink immediately. He heard the door to the room open and glanced up for half a second before pouring himself another shot.

"I thought your daughter's return would please you," Elijah spoke in a low voice as he walked into the room.

"I'm overjoyed, believe me. It's just…" he paused and set the shot glass down before turning around to face Elijah, his face somber. "I'm worried about Cassandra. She received a phone call from her sister. Their mother is dying. It's a brain tumor. Inoperable. Incurable."

Elijah stared at Klaus in shock and slowly sunk down into the nearby desk chair. "Oh no," he whispered, his face contorted in concern and worry.

"She wants to take Hope to Mystic Falls to meet her mother," Klaus murmured. "I convinced her to wait until after the wedding to go, but she cannot go alone. With Finn still out there in an unknown body, it's not safe for Hope."

"You're going to accompany her," Elijah stated.

"Of course I am," Klaus stared at him, disbelief that he even had to ask written all over his face.

"Are you sure that's a wise plan?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Tyler Lockwood."

"What about him?" Klaus snapped in a low voice.

"I believe you've just proved my point," Elijah continued to keep his voice light and calm. "The mere mention of his name is enough to infuriate you. You have despised him more than ever before since learning that he and Cassandra share the same father. If you go with her to Mystic Falls, you will be in the same small town as Tyler, her now _human_ brother. And, as her brother, not only will he feel completely untouchable by you, regardless of his new mortality, he will also want to be there for her, and she will want him to meet his niece. Are you going to be able to keep your temper in check and behave no matter what he may do to provoke you?"

Klaus tightened his jaw as he gave Elijah's statement a moment of thought. He knew Elijah was right, but the last thing he wanted to do was admit it because he knew what his brother's solution would be and he was one thousand percent against it. "Okay, brother. Let's say, hypothetically, that you're right, that I won't be able to be on my best behavior around a very human Tyler whilst in Mystic Falls. Where does that leave us? Oh!" He raised a finger. "I know where. It leaves us with _you._ " His light-hearted, contemplative facial expression was replaced with a sneer. "You think _you_ would be the better fit to go with her, but, unfortunately for you, that is the last thing I will _ever_ allow."

"I was under the impression that you'd forgiven me for that indiscretion," Elijah stared at him.

"Oh, I have. But, just because I've forgiven you doesn't mean I trust the two of you being alone together for any length of time, especially within the confines of a car, or anywhere else for that matter," Klaus shot back.

Elijah rose to his feet and strided over to Klaus to look him in the eyes. "So, you're going act civilized towards Tyler Lockwood? Resist every urge to taunt and harass him?" Klaus remained silent, but he kept eye contact with his brother. "Very well," Elijah nodded. "I shall look after things here while you're away." He turned and began to walk towards the door.

"Wait!" Klaus called out with a resounding sigh as Elijah started to step through the doorway. "I cannot believe I am about to say this," he continued while Elijah turned back around to face him once more. "You are right about me, brother. While I could try to be as civil as possible for Cassandra's sake, there is no guarantee that Tyler would do the same. Quite the contrary, in fact. I have no doubt he would use every opportunity to test my patience. And, as much as I desperately hate to admit it, he _is_ her family, and family is what she'll need the most to help her get through the grief she'll endure. I do not wish to add to that turmoil by lashing out at Tyler, and if were to go with her, well, let's just say that the odds are tremendously stacked against me. Therefore, I am left with no alternative but to have you accompany her in my stead. But make no mistake, Elijah, if _anything_ transpires between the two of you—"

"I give you my word, brother. Nothing of the sort will happen," Elijah cut him off. "She has made where her heart lies abundantly clear, and I shall respect it."

"Good," Klaus nodded once. "Then it's settled." He walked around Elijah and left the room to check on how everything for the wedding was coming along.

-o-

Cassandra stood in front of the full-length mirror, turning her body from side to side as she admired her reflection. She'd chosen a sleeveless pale sage floor length dress with a plunging V-neck line and deep V-line back. The dress was simple and fit like a glove, though it had a slightly flowy skirt so it wasn't slinky. She'd decided to put big, wavy curls in her hair to dress it up some, and pulled a little of it back, pinning it with a diamond barrette she'd borrowed from Rebekah. She kept her makeup simple and natural. This was Hayley's special night after all. All eyes were and should be on her.

The sound of Hope's happy cooing drew her attention away from the mirror. Satisfied with her appearance, she turned around and gazed down at her daughter who sat on top of a blanket on the floor next to the bed. She wore a cute pink polka dot sleeper set and held a little orange stacking cup in her hand as she gazed up at Cassandra in wonder.

Cassandra grinned and laughed as she walked over to the blanket. "Oh, I still can't believe that you're here." She carefully dropped down to her knees and let out a soft breath as she leaned forward to take Hope's tiny hand into hers. "Now, mommy has to go to her very good friends' wedding. But don't worry because Cami will watch you."

She grinned as Hope dropped the cup and picked up a small stuffed monkey which she proceeded to put her mouth on as she cooed in response to Cassandra's voice. "And after that, we're gonna go to the small town where I was born and that's where you'll finally meet your Aunt Caroline and Gramma Liz. Won't that be fun? After that, I'm not letting you out of my sight." Hope squealed in response, making Cassandra laugh and grin wider.

The sound of approaching footsteps alerted Cassandra to someone stopping in front of the open bedroom doorway. She was still grinning when she lifted her head and found Elijah gazing back at her, looking dashing in a black suit and tie. He hadn't shaved in recent days, and the dark whiskers making up his five o'clock shadow was proof. Cassandra quickly looked back down at Hope, giving her one last tiny nudge before rising to her feet. She ran her hands over the fabric of her dress, smoothing it out as she turned to face him.

He gazed at her for a long moment before speaking. "You look beautiful."

"Uh, thanks" she murmured softly. She didn't know what else to say and winced inwardly at the awkward silence that followed.

He softened his face as he stepped forward into the room and made his way closer to her. "Niklaus told me about your mother. I'm so sorry, Cassandra. I cannot begin to fathom what you must be feeling right now."

"Yeah. I'm still processing it. It kinda feels like a bad dream I can't wake up from. I'm trying not to think about it too much right now. I don't want to start crying again because it'll take me forever to stop." She turned her head and glanced down at her daughter with a small smile. "Having her here helps."

Elijah nodded in understanding as he gazed down at his niece with a smile. "He also told me about your desire to take Hope to Mystic Falls to see your family. He's —"

"Elijah," Klaus called out in a gentle voice as he appeared in the room just inside the doorway. He had changed into black dress pants and a white dress shirt. He hadn't tied his black tie and had it draped loosely around his neck. "Let me be the one to tell her."

"Of course," Elijah gave him a nod and left them to talk.

"Tell me what?" Cassandra eyed Klaus curiously once they were alone.

"Well, for starters," Klaus walked toward her and took her by the hands. "How exquisite you look."

"Thank you," she beamed. "What else do you need to tell me?"

Klaus guided her over to the bed to sit down and held her hands clasped together between his own. "It's about your trip home."

"You're not gonna—"

"No, nothing like that. I want our daughter to meet her grandmother as much as you do."

"Oh. Good," she let out a soft breath of relief.

"Elijah and I discussed it and we both agree that he should be the one to accompany you," Klaus spoke in a gentle voice.

"W-what?" Cassandra's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought that you'd be coming with me."

Klaus brought a hand up to cup the side of her face. "I would love to be the one to go with you, sweetheart, but I don't think it's a good idea for Tyler and me to be in the same small town. It's recipe for disaster, and I do not wish to add to the stress you are already dealing with."

"Oh," Her heart sank. She'd been counting on having him there to cling to and hadn't given any thought to how his presence would affect Tyler, and vise versa. "I hadn't really thought about it like that."

"Please, don't be angry with me."

"I'm not, just disappointed."

"You should know that when Elijah and I first discussed it, I was adamantly against the idea of him being your travel companion," He brushed her cheek with the tip of his thumb. "To be quite frank, I still am, but what other choice do we have?"

"I could always go by myself," Cassandra suggested. Klaus raised his eyebrows slightly, giving her a look that clearly said _Not a chance_.

"Or not," she chuckled softly. The sound of her soft laugh caught Hope's attention and made her respond with a coo of her own. Cassandra and Klaus turned their heads toward her with a smile, their tender moment effectively brought to an end. "I need to go get her settled with Cami before the wedding begins," Cassandra stood up. She carefully knelt down and scooped up Hope into her arms. When she stood up again, she found Klaus back on his feet. "And you," she balanced Hope on her hip with one arm and ran her free hand along his loosely hanging tie. "Need to finish getting ready." She leaned and pecked him quickly on the lips. "I will see you out there."

A little while later she stood on the upper floor of the ballroom between Klaus and Elijah, watching the wedding ceremony as it took place below. Jackson's grandmother began to lead them through the unification ritual. As she started to speak, Hayley glanced in their direction and met Cassandra's eyes, flashing her a tiny smile. Cassandra smiled back at her. Her eyes drifted to Hayley's right hand where she wore a small, silver band with a familiar black stone set into it. She felt Klaus take her by the hand and laced their fingers together. She glanced up at him and found him stealing a glance at her. She smiled and pressed her shoulder into his.

Mary wrapped a strand of baby's breath flowers around Hayley and Jackson's wrists as a symbol of their unification and commitment to each other. As they exchanged vows, Mary placed a long match in their linked hands to light a ceremonial candle when they were done. They went back and forth, reciting lines and making promises. When they'd finished, they lit the candle together and blew out the match before setting it down. As they leaned forward and kissed for the first time as husband and wife, Cassandra felt her eyes start to water and used her free hand to gently wipe away the tears before they fell. She watched in awe as the eyes of every crescent wolf in attendance, including Jackson and Hayley, glowed gold, indicating that the Unification Ceremony had worked. A murmuring in the crowd grew when they came to the same realization. Cassandra eagerly broke away from Klaus and Elijah and hurried downstairs to celebrate with everyone else and congratulate the newlyweds.

In traditional New Orleans fashion, a parade was held on the streets of the Quarter, led by several police officers on motorcycles. Cassandra had been reluctant to go but could not say no when Hayley begged her to join them. After walking for a little while at the front of the group, watching Hayley and Jackson dance around joyfully as a jazz band played upbeat music and people who were watching cheered, Cassandra could not deny she was glad Hayley had convinced her to come. When Hayley twirled her white paracel in front of Cassandra's face, Cassandra tilted her had back and laughed, and Hayley grinned in victory.

"Oh, come on. You gotta dance, Cassandra!" Jackson hollered over the music. "This is a celebration! Enjoy it with us!"

Reluctantly, she started to move her body to the beat of the drums. She laughed, feeling completely ridiculous, but didn't stop. Eventually she was bouncing around with Hayley and Jackson. As they passed by the front of the compound on Royal Street, Cassandra glanced up while she as dancing and spotted Klaus standing on the balcony. She met his eyes and raised her eyebrows, challenging him to come down and join her. He simply grinned back at her but remained still. She rolled her eyes and turned back to the bride and groom.

After the parade, they returned to the compound for the reception. The courtyard had been completely decked out in bright twinkling lights and cascading sparkling gems. Cassandra grabbed a glass of champagne and sipped it while she watched Jackson and Hayley dancing in the middle of the dance floor. They were soon joined by other couples, and while Cassandra would have loved to be out there too, she was content to watch from the sidelines. As Jackson twirled Hayley around, white rose petals began raining down on them and everyone else out on the dance floor. Cassandra stretched out her hand and caught a few pedals. She brought them up to her face and inhaled deeply for a moment before letting them float to the ground.

"Ladies and gentleman," Klaus's voice echoed through the courtyard. "May I have your attention, please?" Cassandra looked up and saw him standing at the base of the stairs with Hope in his arms. Her heart swelled at the sight of her daughter wearing the cutest pale pink dress and white tights she'd ever seen. "Cassandra, if you would join me, I would like to propose a toast."

Cassandra eyed him curiously as she set her glass down and walked out into the middle of the courtyard where he stood. He carefully handed Hope to her and placed a hand on her back as they stood side by side to address everyone.

"I want to welcome you all," Klaus went on. "As you know, last spring Cassandra and I had a daughter. Due to tragic circumstance, she was lost. Now, she has returned home." He moved his hand from Cassandra's back to their daughter's. "Her name is Hope. She will live here among you. It is my greatest wish that you accept her into your pack and into your family as you have her mother. We," he motioned at Cassandra. "implore you protect our daughter. Teach her, love her, as one of your own." Cassandra was staring at Hayley and Jackson who both nodded their heads at them in agreement. She would never be able to tell them how much it meant to her.

Klaus wasn't finished, though, and his next words surprised Cassandra. He picked up a glass of champagne that a waiter had brought him and directed his next words toward the bride and groom. "Jackson, Hayley, I invite both you to live here, uniting your proud and noble people in peace. For any friend of Cassandra's is a most welcome friend of mine." He raised his glass. "To Jackson and Hayley."

Everyone raised their glasses in agreement with his toast and then brought them back down, taking a sip. The music started back up, signaling that the party could resume. Cassandra made her way over to Hayley and Jackson so they could see Hope again. They waved at the baby and shook her little hands. She gazed back, though she was unable to make any noise with the bright pink pacifier in her mouth. More people began crowding around, wanting a closer look at the miracle baby. Being unaccustomed to so many people, Hope began to fuss, so Cassandra politely excused herself and made her way upstairs. She stopped in front of the balcony, watching the party for a moment.

"You know," Elijah appeared beside her. "I believe I stand corrected. There is one who is even more beautiful than you tonight." He grinned as he ran his fingers against Hope's head.

"Now that," Cassandra turned and smiled at him. "I don't think anyone, including me, will disagree with."

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay, at the moment. Hope was a little uneasy when people started crowding around us to get a closer look at her, so we came up here."

"Yes, I suppose she's not accustomed to being around so many people."

"In any case, it's probably time she went to bed, so I think I'll go get her settled." She flashed him a tiny smile and turned around, making her way down the hall to the nursery connected to her and Klaus's room. After changing her diaper and putting her back in her pink polka dot pajamas, she carefully laid Hope in her crib and placed a brown teddy bear next to her. Her lips curled into a smile as she rested her arms against the top of the crib frame and gazed down at her daughter. A couple of minutes later, she felt a presence beside her and turned her head to find Klaus standing beside her. She slid her arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. He brushed his lips against the top of her head as he slid his arm around her in return and gazed down at Hope. Hope cooed softly as she looked up at them. They both heard the sound of approaching footsteps after a couple of peaceful moments and instantly knew who they belonged to.

"Must you intrude on every moment?" Klaus spoke softly without moving.

"I'm not here to quarrel, brother," Elijah murmured.

"Kol," Rebekah spoke next in a shaky voice. "I couldn't help him." This got Cassandra and Klaus's attention, making them spin around to face Rebekah and Elijah.

"He's not gonna last the night," Rebekah told them with a somber look on her face.

"Oh no," Cassandra whispered, her heart sinking for the second time that day.

They retrieved Cami to continue looking after Hope and hastily left the compound together. Cassandra gripped her dress with one hand so it was off the ground, making it easier for her to walk faster, while she held onto Klaus's hand with the other. They made it to Lafayette Cemetery in a matter of minutes. As they walked through the entrance gate, Klaus, Elijah, and Cassandra exchanged looks with each other. They could hear the sound of music playing from somewhere in the cemetery. Elijah took the lead, guiding the group through the maze of tombs to the source of the music. As they grew closer, they could hear Kol coughing and Davina asking if he was okay.

"I think I wanna be alone for this bit," He told Davina in a soft voice, covering his mouth as he started to cough again.

They rounded a corner and finally saw Kol as he walked away from Davina to go inside a tomb.

"I'm afraid that's not an option," Elijah spoke up as they approached him. Kol wiped his mouth as he turned toward them in surprise.

"Always and forever is not just something you weasel out of, brother," Klaus gave him a small smile.

Cassandra smiled at him, too, and could tell by the look on his face that he was incredibly touched that they all showed up for him. They followed Kol into the same tomb Esther had once imprisoned Elijah and gathered around him. His coughing grew worse, and eventually he started to bleed from his nose and mouth. He doubled over in pain and collapsed on the ground. Elijah and Klaus knelt down on either side of him and held him up while he coughed. Cassandra and Rebekah stood by his feet as Davina worked on one last spell attempt in the corner.

Kol winced and gasped from the pain growing inside of him. He glanced from Elijah to Klaus as he gripped the lapel of Klaus's suit jacket for support. "All my life," he murmured softly. "All I ever wanted was you lot to care about me."

As a tear started to roll down Klaus's cheek, Kol began to laugh and ended up being overcome by another coughing fit. Elijah helped him sit back up and then stepped out of the way so Rebekah could move behind Kol and help hold him. Cassandra moved next to Elijah and dropped to her knees beside Kol. He caught his breath after his coughing fit and carefully leaned back with the help of Elijah and Rebekah until his head was resting comfortably in Rebekah's lap.

Cassandra reached for his hand and held it between both of hers. He met her eyes and smiled at her. "Well, at least you get to say goodbye to me this time."

"Yeah," Cassandra smiled weakly as tears trickled down her cheeks. She continued to hold his hand with one of her hands while she reached out with her other hand and stroked his forehead in the same manor that she had when she saw his dead body at the Gilbert House two years earlier. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he remembered, and his smile confirmed it. Not caring that both Klaus and Elijah were right there with them, she took a deep breath and leaned in, brushing her lips gently against his.

"Well, fancy that. All it took was me on my death bed to get you to kiss me all on your own," Kol chuckle-coughed as she leaned back. "Thank you, Cassandra."

"You're welcome," she gave his hand a small squeeze.

"Kol," Rebekah murmured, cupping the side of his face to get his attention. He lifted his head slightly to look up at her. "Listen to me. You don't have long. You're going to die. But you will die a witch and we will consecrate your body. You will join the ancestors of the French Quarter and those spirits can be brought back. And I promise you, brother, I will not leave this body until I find a way to bring you home."

Kol gazed up at his baby sister, smiling at her as his eyes glistened with tears. He moaned softly in pain and began to cough harder. Davina finally finished her spell and scurried over to them.

"I tried a different spell," she murmured as she dropped to her knees beside Cassandra.

"It's okay," he whispered, meeting her eyes. "I'm not scared."

He managed to choke out one final laugh before his body went completely limp in Rebekah's arms. Davina broke down sobs, rocking back and forth as she held Kol's other hand in hers. Cassandra cried silently, bringing Kol's hand up to her face one final time. She kissed his knuckles, then gently laid his hand onto of his chest. She slowly rose to her feet and brushed herself off as she moved over to Klaus. When she reached him, she slid her arms around his waist and laid her head against his shoulder. He kissed her forehead as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

After a long couple of silent moments, Klaus, Cassandra, and Elijah left and headed back to the compound, leaving Rebekah and Davina to handle Kol's body. When they arrived, Cassandra changed out of her dress and into a pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and slipped on her Richmond University hoodie. She quickly finished packing for her trip to Mystic Falls and met Klaus in the nursery to gather up Hope. They gazed down at their daughter as she lay fast asleep in her crib for a minute before Cassandra carefully scooped her into her arms and placed her into the baby carrier. She buckled her in before tucking a blanket around her and brushed her lips gently against the top of her head.

Klaus reached for the handle and lifted the baby carrier. Cassandra grabbed the baby bag containing all of Hope's things and followed him out of the room. When they got outside, Elijah was loading their bags into the truck of his car. He quickly opened the backseat door and assisted Klaus with securing Hope's baby carrier. It didn't take them longer than a few minutes to finish and shut the car door. Klaus turned around and walked up Cassandra, pulling her into his arms. Cassandra threw her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face against his shoulder.

"I know it's going to be the most excruciating pain you've ever endured," Klaus whispered in her ear. "But I also know how incredibly strong and resilient you are. You _will_ get through this. And whenever you feel like letting go because the pain becomes unbearable, I want you think of our little girl and how much she needs her mother. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?"

Cassandra sniffed softly and raised her head to meet his eyes. "Yes," she murmured softly.

"Good," he gave her a small smile and cupped the side of her face. He brushed her cheek lightly with his thumb and leaned in, kissing her gently. He let his lips linger against hers for a few long moments before pulling away and guided her to the passenger side of the car. She leaned against him as he opened the door for her, and then slowly slid down into the seat.

"I'll call you when we get there. We're driving through the night, so we should be in Mystic Falls by morning," Cassandra told him.

"I'll be waiting," He gave her one last tiny smile before shutting the door.

She fastened her seatbelt while Klaus and Elijah exchanged a few last words. With a final nod, Elijah walked around the front of the car and climbed into the driver's seat. He buckled up, started the ignition, and drove off down Dumaine Street. They were both quiet at first, neither knowing what to say to the other. Cassandra gazed out of the window at the nightlife that continued to go on around her.

"You should try to get some sleep," Elijah spoke in a gentle voice once they were cruising on the I-10 freeway."

Cassandra slowly nodded her head. She sent Caroline a quick text to let her know she and Elijah were on their way and would be there sometime during the morning. When she was done, she plugged her phone into the charger and set it in one of the cup holders. As she adjusted her seat so that she was leaning back more, Elijah turned on the radio. It wasn't long before she was lulled to sleep by the sounds of Hope's breathing and the soft music that filled the car. When she woke, she would be home in Mystic Falls for what was going to be the start of the most heartbreaking day of her entire life.

* * *

 **Whew! You guys still breathing? This chapter is definitely the first of a series of extremely emotional chapters. Keep those tissues and hankies nearby. I guarantee you'll need them. I can finally confirm that yes, Cassandra will be taking Hope back to Mystic Falls to meet her family. And that million dollar question of will she or won't she turn off her humanity will finally be answered once and for all. It's going to be one hell of a ride that has been a couple of years in the making, and I cannot wait to finally share it with all of you.**

 **Thank you all so, so much for all of the incredibly kind words in your reviews. I can't believe this story is at 430 total, and growing. And I meant to do this a long time ago, but to the communities that added my story, I am so flattered and touched. Thank you for liking (or loving) my story enough to add it to your collections.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until next time!**

 **PS. Originals. Season 5. Teenage Hope. I cannot wait til I get to this point in the "Crazy" saga! So many ideas swirling around, and we're only two episodes into the final season. (Noo! I refuse to say goodbye to the Mikaelsons. Who's with me?) Just a little something to look forward to.**


	38. A Heartbreaking Goodbye

**Hey guys. I am so glad you all enjoyed that last chapter. I admit I was a little nervous about how you all would take my decision to have Klaus stay behind in New Orleans. But don't worry, I have a plan for him and the little town of Mystic Falls. All shall be revealed in the course of the next few chapters. Speaking of Mystic Falls, yes, that is where we are headed in this chapter. I know most if not all of you have been anxiously waiting to find out if Cassandra's going to turn off her humanity. That mega-million dollar question will be answered in the next chapter. Before we can get to that, we have some other more emotionally grueling things to deal with first. Grab those tissue boxes and keep them handy for this chapter and the next because you'll definitely need them. This was probably the most emotionally difficult section to write up to this point. I definitely shed a few tears during the writing process. As sad as it is, I'm really, really pleased with the outcome. There is, of course, a ton of Hope in this one, so that should help some. Thank you all so much for continuing to stick with me and read this. Your patience and incredibly kind words mean the world to me. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 38 - A Heartbreaking Goodbye**

"We'll be at my dad's cabin in a couple of minutes," Cassandra told Klaus over the phone. Caroline was getting the place ready for their mom to spend her final days there, resting and relaxing in a peaceful atmosphere. She'd asked Cassandra and Elijah to stop there first before heading into Mystic Falls so they could finalize their plans for the rest of the day. "Oh, turn left here, Elijah," she pointed at a turnoff they were approaching.

"Your father has a cabin?" Klaus asked with a hint of surprise in his voice.

"Uh huh. Across the lake from Elena's family cabin. We used to go there every summer when I was a kid until my parents divorced. Then my mom, sister, and I stopped going. I think it was too painful for my mom. Oh, and I'm fairly certain it was only ever in my dad's name which means we won't have to be invited in."

"Well, that's convenient," he chuckled. "So how are you holding up?"

"As good as can be expected, I guess. I'm trying to remain focused on the positive things that are happening today. I—oh!" She trailed off as she and Elijah pulled up to a brown two-story cabin with a wrap-around porch. "Wow," her eyes darted around taking the entire property in. "It looks just like I remember it from when I was a kid. It hasn't changed a bit." She pulled her phone away from her ear and quickly snapped a picture to send to Klaus.

"How charming," Klaus murmured after seeing the photo. "Perhaps one day we'll come back together so I can see it in person."

"I'd like that," A small smile tugged at her lips. "Anyway, I should probably go. I expect Caroline to come running outside any moment now. I'll call you later tonight."

"Alright, sweetheart. I'll talk to you tonight then. I love you."

"I love you, too."

She tapped the _end_ button and lowered her phone to her lap. She started to let out a deep breath when the front door to the cabin opened and, as expected, Caroline came running out. A huge grin appeared on Cassandra's face as she met her little sister's eyes. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed the car door open to get out. Once she was on her feet, she ran toward Caroline, meeting her halfway.

"Caroline!" She threw her arms around her.

"Cass! Oh, I'm so glad you're finally here!" Caroline hugged her back tightly. "I've missed you so much!"

"Me too," Cassandra pinched her eyes shut as a wave of emotion rushed through her.

"No tears!" they both pulled away and pointed a finger at each other as they shouted at the same time. They burst into a fit of giggles and hugged again.

"Ahem," Elijah cleared his throat gently as he walked toward them with the baby carrier. Because of the way he was holding it, the cover obstructed Caroline's view of the baby inside.

"Oh my gosh! Okay, stay right there," Cassandra grinned at her sister and then turned around to Elijah. He set down the carrier and watched her with a smile as she carefully lifted Hope out and turned around to face her sister.

"Caroline," Cassandra walked up to her, holding Hope against her hip. "This is my little girl, Hope. Hope, meet your Aunt Caroline."

"Oh my god! She's so cute!" Caroline squealed and reached out to touch her hand with her finger. Hope gave an excited coo in response. Both girls grinned at each other and giggled softly. "How old is she now?"

"Seven and a half months," Cassandra answered as they walked towards the front door. "Most of that I didn't get to be a part of, but we're together now, and that's all that matters." When they reached the front door, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to the right and let out a small gasp when her eyes landed on Caroline's childhood bicycle. "Oh wow! Your old bike! Where did you find it?"

"In the garage. Mom kept yours too," Caroline grinned as she opened the door.

"This place is like a time capsule, huh?" Cassandra laughed and followed her inside. Elijah was right behind her.

"Pretty much," Caroline nodded.

All sorts of memories flooded Cassandra's mind as she stepped into the cabin. Bike riding, game nights, bonfires and smores in the backyard, they were all from a time when her family was whole and happy. She desperately wished she could go back to that place.

"Okay, gimmie," Caroline turned around and held out her arms once they were in the living room.

Cassandra grinned at her sister's understandable eagerness to hold her niece and carefully handed her over. A feeling of joy washed over her as she watched Caroline sit down on the sofa and bounce a delighted Hope on her lap.

"Cassandra, hey," an unexpected voice pulled her out of the moment. She spun around and came face to face with Stefan Salvatore.

"Stefan," she smiled at him. "I didn't know you were going to be here. _Someone,_ " she threw a sideways glance at her sister who was oblivious to her conversation with Stefan. "didn't tell me."

"Oh, heh, yeah," he ran a hand through his hair. "Your mom asked me to keep an eye on her and help her through all of this."

"Of course she did. Well, I'm glad you're here for her," Cassandra gave him an appreciate nod. She turned back toward the living room and gazed at her sister on the couch.

Stefan followed her gaze and stared in surprise at the baby in Caroline's arms. "Is she—"

"My daughter?" Cassandra grinned. "Yep. Her name's Hope."

"She's beautiful," he smiled.

"Thank you. Come on and meet her." She led Stefan into the living room and took a seat on the couch beside Caroline. Hope squealed in excitement and stretched out her little hand. Cassandra chuckled and pressed her finger into Hope's tiny palm. Stefan sat down in the easy chair adjacent to Caroline and smiled as he watched Caroline's interaction with her niece. Cassandra looked up and found Elijah standing in front of the fireplace, staring at the framed pictures on the mantle above. When she realized what he was looking at, her eyes got really big. "Oh my god," she smacked her forehead with her free hand. "Old family photos."

"Yes," Elijah chuckled as he turned around holding one of the photos in his hand. "I assume this one is you?" He held it up for her to see. It was a photo of an eight-year-old girl with her hair braided in pig-tails. She wore a pale pink shirt and faded blue overalls and lay on her stomach with her knees bent and her chin resting in her hand as she smiled at the camera.

Cassandra felt her cheeks grow warm as she stared at the old photo. "Yeah, that's me. I was…eight, I think? Wow, that was a long time ago."

"Awww, you were adorable," Stefan eyed the photo with a grin.

"Yes, very," Elijah agreed with a glimmer in his eyes and an amused smile tugging at his lips.

"Okay," Cassandra jumped to her feet and took the photo out of Elijah's hand. "That's enough going down memory lane for one day." She put the photo back on the fireplace mantle and turned back around to face everyone.

"You know what?" Caroline shifted Hope in her arms and carefully stood up. "You should take Hope and go surprise mom at the station while Stefan and I finish getting everything ready here. Then you can all come back here together."

"Now that sounds like a plan," Cassandra nodded in agreement. She hugged Caroline one more time before taking Hope from her and buckled her into her carrier. She picked it up by the handle and followed Elijah outside. He opened the back door of the car and helped her secure the carrier in the back seat before taking a seat behind the wheel. Cassandra sat down on the passenger side and buckled up as Elijah started the car. A few seconds later they were back on the road.

An hour later they pulled up to the Sheriff Station in Mystic Falls. Cassandra stared at the entrance and felt butterflies starting to swarm around in her stomach. While a huge part of her was beyond excited to see her mother again, another part of her was dreading the rush of emotions she knew she would feel at seeing how frail she was.

 _Focus on the positive. Enjoy what little time you have left with her_ , she told herself.

"Okay, let's do this," she reached for the lever to open the car door. She opened the backseat door and lifted Hope's carrier out. As she shut the door, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window. "Uh," she set the baby carrier down and glanced up at Elijah who stood by the front of the car. "Give me a minute. I want to put a clean shirt on."

He nodded and pressed a button on the car key fob to pop the trunk. Cassandra stepped around to the back of the car and pushed the trunk all the way up. She quickly dug out a black floral print blouse from her duffel bag. Using a burst of vampire speed, she peeled her hoodie and t-shirt off and put the blouse on. After tucking her hoodie and shirt back into her duffel bag, she brushed her hair and tied it back in a messy bun.

"There," she zipped up her bag and closed the trunk of the car. "I'm ready now. Let's go."

Grabbing the baby carrier, she walked with Elijah to the station door and slowly pulled it open. He let her go in first and walked in behind her. A bell jingled, alerting the deputy sitting at the reception desk that someone had entered.

"Hello there. What can I—" The deputy was looking at a file on his desk and stopped abruptly when he looked up and recognized Cassandra immediately. His lips curled into a huge grin, but before he could say anything else, Cassandra pressed her index finger against her lips to keep him quiet. Grinning back at him, she motioned toward her mother's office with her hand. He nodded and motioned for her to proceed.

"Give me a minute to announce you," she whispered to Elijah, handing him the baby carrier as they reached the door. "I don't want to overwhelm her."

"Of course," he gave a slight nod of his head.

Cassandra took a deep breath and reached for the handle with her left hand while she lightly tapped on the door with her right hand as she opened it. "Hello?" She called out in a gentle voice. When she stepped into her mom's office, Elizabeth was sitting at her desk with an open file in front of her. She looked up and did a double take at Cassandra standing in the doorway.

"Surprise!" Cassandra grinned and made her way towards the desk.

"Cassandra! Oh goodness, what a wonderful surprise!" Elizabeth cried out as she stood to her feet. When Cassandra reached her, they both threw their arms around each other in a tight embrace.

"Oh mom," Cassandra sighed, taking in her mom's wonderful scent. "I've missed you so, so much!" She took a deep breath to keep her emotions under control. The last thing she wanted to do was start crying. There would be plenty of time for that later.

Elizabeth leaned back and cupped Cassandra's cheek with her hand. "Caroline told me you weren't coming til later."

"We wanted to surprise you. I got in this morning. Speaking of surprises," she paused and turned toward the door. "You can come in now," she called out. A moment later Elijah entered the room holding the baby carrier. Cassandra flashed her mom a grin before walking up to Elijah as he set down the carrier. "Mom," Cassandra leaned down and picked up Hope after unbuckling her. She held her on her hip and turned around to face her mother, who was grinning as widely as she was. "Meet your granddaughter, Hope. Hope, this is your grandma."

"Oh honey," Elizabeth gushed as Cassandra walked over to her and placed Hope in her awaiting arms. "She's absolutely perfect."

"So that's mini Klaus, huh?" An unmistakable voice rang out. Cassandra spun around and found Damon Salvatore standing on the opposite side of the desk. She hadn't noticed him when she first walked in.

"Hello to you too, Damon," she rolled her eyes.

"I'd say she's more like a mini Cassandra," Elizabeth chuckled as she sat down and held Hope so she was standing up with her feet on the top of her legs. "She looks just like you did when you were a baby."

"She does?" Cassandra blinked in surprise. "Huh. I'll have to dig out an old baby photo and do a comparison. Oh! Photos!" She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and turned on the camera. She took a few quick photos of her mom and Hope before handing her phone to Elijah. "Could you?"

"Of course," he nodded and took the phone from her. She moved back over to her mom and knelt down beside her and Hope. It took a few tries to get Hope to focus on him long enough for him to take the picture, but eventually they were able to get one.

"Thank you," she gave Elijah a genuine smile when he handed back her phone. She slipped it back into her pocket and gazed at her mom as she continued to talk softly to Hope who cooed in response.

"So where's Klaus?" Elizabeth asked, meeting Cassandra's eyes.

"He stayed behind in New Orleans. He thought it was best he keeps as much distance from Tyler as possible now that he's human again," Cassandra answered softly.

"That was very considerate of him," Elizabeth nodded.

"Mmm hmm. My turn. Why are you here working? You should be resting, relaxing, enjoying what time you have left."

"And I promise I will, I just had a few old cases I wanted to close first."

Cassandra gave a nod of her head. "Oh. Okay. Wait," she glanced up at Damon after realizing why he was there. "How many of those unsolved cases is Damon responsible for?"

"Two of the three he openly admitted to," Elizabeth answered. "The third is—"

"The Gilberts," Cassandra murmured after her eyes landed on the open file. "I thought it was a tragic accident. You think it wasn't?"

"It's still up for discussion," Elizabeth sighed. She told Cassandra about the cryptic voicemail she'd received from Elena's mother, Miranda, a couple of hours before the crash that killed both her and her husband. In her message, Miranda told Elizabeth she needed to talk to her, but she never said why. "I'm waiting for Elena to ask Jeremy about it and get back to me."

Damon's phone started to ring a moment later. "It's Elena," he told them before answering the call. He stepped outside of the office to speak to her in private. Cassandra couldn't help listening in as Elena explained what she'd found—that their mom had caught Jeremy smoking pot in his room and threatened to have him arrested. Less than a minute later, he made his way back into the office.

"So, the message was a joke," he murmured as he walked over to stand on the other side of the desk across from Elizabeth and leaned against the edge of a cabinet placed against the wall. "Miranda wanted you to bust Jeremy for smoking pot."

"Well," Elizabeth used a hand to turn a page in the open file. "I mean, the route, the skid marks. What about the luggage?"

"There was a storm the day before. Jeremy's dad was planning a secret trip to their lake house and the storm rained them out," Damon explained.

"The storm," Elizabeth murmured softly. Cassandra could tell from the look on her face that all of the missing puzzle pieces had just fallen into place.

"Yeah," Damon nodded.

"The storm that dropped a power line across Old Miller Road, explaining why they took Wickery Bridge which had a drainage issue before its renovation. Meaning the road was probably still slick," Elizabeth concluded.

"Slick roads, no skid marks," Damon added.

"The storm," Elizabeth sighed sadly. "That was the reason. Mystery solved." She handed Hope back to Cassandra and quickly stuffed the paper's she'd spread out on her desk back into the file before closing it. Cassandra could tell from the look on her face that it hadn't been answer she'd been hoping for, but she didn't say anything about it.

"Sweetheart," Elizabeth looked up at her. "Would you mind calling your sister and telling her she can surprise me tomorrow? I'm not really feeling up to it tonight."

"Absolutely," Cassandra nodded.

"I'll go get the car," Damon murmured softly.

After he left the room, Cassandra put Hope back in her carrier and turned around to face her mom. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched her mom slowly stand up and unclip her badge from her hip, staring longingly at it before tossing it on top of the closed file. A lump formed in Cassandra's throat and her eyes began to sting with tears as a wave of emotions washed over her. She took a deep breath and swallowed slowly which helped make the lump go away.

"Ready?" she asked her mom in a gentle voice.

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded. She turned off the lamp on her desk, pushed in her chair, and followed Cassandra and Elijah to the door. She took one last long look at her office before turning off the light and leaving it behind her.

When they walked outside, Damon pulled up in front of the station in his pale blue Camero convertible. He jumped out and jogged around the front of the car to the passenger side to open the door for Elizabeth.

"I'll see you at home," Cassandra gave her a quick hug before she got in. She turned around and picked up the baby carrier before following Elijah to his car. They secured the carrier in the back seat before climbing into the front and driving away. Durning the short ride home, Cassandra called Caroline to let her know about the change of plans. Caroline was disappointed, but quickly bounced back from it and said she'd head over to the house as soon as she was done tidying up the cabin.

They pulled up to the house a few minutes later as Damon and Elizabeth were walking up the stairs to the front door. Cassandra got out and grabbed the baby carrier and diaper bag from the back seat while Elijah retrieved their bags from the trunk. When they reached the open front door, Elijah politely motioned for Cassandra to go first. She started to step forward when she was blocked by an invisible barrier.

"What the—" she frowned.

"You haven't been invited in," Elijah realized.

"Oh wow," Cassandra blinked, taken aback by the discovery. "You're right. This is the first time I've been here since I turned. Hey mom!" She called out into the house. "I could use a little help here."

Elizabeth came walking toward her from the living room and stared at her for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle as she realized what the problem was. "Oh, sweetheart. Won't you please come in?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Cassandra giggled and stepped over the threshold with a grin. She smiled as she looked around. "Mmm, sure feels good to be home."

"It feels good having you home, sweetheart," Elizabeth smiled at her. "I just wish I had the energy to spend more time with you and my sweet little granddaughter, but I'm exhausted."

"It's okay, mom. I insist that you go crawl into bed and take a nap. When Caroline gets here we can set up the tv in your room and watch a movie," Cassandra told her.

"Sounds good." She turned and started to head down the hall, then stopped and turned back. "Oh, there should be an old Pack n' Play in the garage that you can use for Hope."

"I'll get it," Elijah murmured and walked off to retrieve it.

While Damon helped Liz get into bed, Cassandra brought the baby carrier and diaper bag into her old bedroom. It was a little surreal for her to have her daughter there, and she took a minute to let it sink in before getting Hope out of her carrier. She gently sat Hope on her bed, propping her up against a pillow, and pulled out a pale turquoise and pink sleeper along with a fresh diaper and wipes. She set them on one end of the bed and undressed Hope before laying her down to change her diaper. She was zipping up the sleeper after redressing her when Elijah came into the room with the Pack n' play. It only took him a few minutes to set it up and deem it ready for Hope.

Cassandra thanked him as she wrapped a blanket around Hope and held her against her chest. She started to pace around and gently rock Hope, hoping to lull her to sleep. After a couple of minutes, she gazed down at Hope and found her looking up at her with wide, curious eyes.

"You're not sleepy at all, are you?" Cassandra chuckled softly. "Alright, let's go see if Grandma is still awake." She began to make her way down the hall to her mother's room when the sound of her mother's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"I have to admit, there is a certain amount of peace knowing I'll be one of the only people in Mystic Falls to die an ordinary death," she heard Elizabeth say, followed by Damon's soft chuckle. "I'm exceptionally ordinary. I'm okay with that. Cassandra and Caroline are anything but." Elizabeth was hit with a wave of emotion and choked back a sob. "They are meant to be extraordinary and they need to know how proud I am of them."

"Yeah, they will," Damon murmured softly. "You can tell them yourself."

Unable to control herself any longer, Cassandra stepped into the bedroom doorway. "You already did," she smiled weakly at her mom. Her eyes welled with tears as she walked over to the other side of the bed and carefully sat down while she held onto Hope. Keeping one arm around her daughter, she reached with her free arm for Elizabeth's hand and brought it up to the side of her face. " _You_ are not ordinary, mom. You are extraordinary!" tears spilled down both her and Elizabeth's cheeks. "You raised us after dad left and did the best that you could. You cared for us, supported us, cheered us on. You're the best mom Caroline and I could have ever asked for. I love you so, so much, and if I can be even half as good of a mom to my daughter as you were to us, I'll be okay with that."

"Oh, honey, you're already doing a wonderful job as a mother," Elizabeth stroked her cheek with her thumb. Cassandra nodded her head slowly and sniffled. "You'll make sure your sister knows how proud I am of her too?"

"You can tell her when she gets here," Cassandra chuckled softly as she repeated essentially the same thing Damon had said. She scooted closer so Elizabeth could touch Hope's tiny hand.

Letting out a soft sigh, Elizabeth turned toward Damon and placed her other hand on top of his. "Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" He asked, touched by her sentiment.

"For today. For being here," she murmured.

Damon smiled and gave her hand a small squeeze. "Yeah, I didn't get a chance to spend much time with my mom before she died. I volunteered to write the eulogy and then when she actually died, I didn't even go to the funeral."

"You want a second chance?" Elizabeth eyed him with raised eyebrows. He stared back at her curiously. "Write mine," she smiled a tiny smile. "Only do me a favor, nothing dirty."

"No promises, Damon grinned. Cassandra rolled her eyes and laughed softly. The moment quickly faded away as she saw the weariness on her mom's face grow. Damon noticed it too and let out a big sigh.

"I'll take that drink now," Elizabeth spoke in a soft voice.

"Yeah?" Damon eyed her and smiled. "I'll be right back," he slowly let go of her hand and stood up. When he got to the bedroom door he stopped. "You want rocks or you want neat?"

Cassandra had looked down at Hope, and when Elizabeth didn't answer, her head snapped up. Elizabeth had closed her eyes and appeared to have fallen asleep. "Mom?" She reached out a hand and gently shook her.

"Liz?" Damon turned around to face her.

"Mom?!" Cassandra tried again to wake her mother, but it was to no avail.

-o-

"Where is she?" Caroline burst through the double doors of the Mystic Falls Hospital Emergency Room with Stefan and marched up to nurses station. "Elizabeth Forbes, what room is she in?" She demanded.

"Caroline!" Cassandra called out to her.

Caroline spun around and ran up to her. "Cass, what happened?"

"She fell asleep," Cassandra answered quickly. "Damon and I couldn't wake her up. They said she went into a coma."

"They said they can make her comfortable," Damon approached them as they reached Elizabeth's room. Elijah stood outside with Hope who was sleeping peacefully in her baby carrier. He gazed at Cassandra and Caroline with a pained expression in his face.

"She's not comfortable!" Caroline shrieked and walked around him to the doorway. "She's dying!" She froze as her eyes landed on her mother lying in the hospital bed hooked to a monitor. Cassandra stood next to Stefan in the doorway, watching as Caroline slowly stepped into the room.

"I didn't get to say goodbye to mom," Caroline cried out in a soft voice. She began to sob, so Cassandra stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her from behind. Caroline placed her arms on top of Cassandra's, and together they shared in the same heartache, letting their tears fall freely.

Eventually Cassandra was able to guide Caroline over to the side of their mom's bed where she took a seat. Cassandra sat behind her at the foot of the bed and placed a hand on top of Elizabeth's leg. She'd had her final moment with their mom, now it was Caroline's turn. The sound of footsteps made Cassandra turn her head to the door and see Stefan walk into the room.

"I should have been with both of you at the house," Caroline murmured.

"You didn't know," Cassandra tried to reassure her.

"But I knew she was sick. And I knew it was bad."

"Caroline—" Stefan whispered.

"I'm her daughter, Stefan," Caroline snapped her head in his direction. "I know Cass was with her, but I should have been with her too. Okay? I was supposed to give her peace and convince her that I would be okay, that Cass and I would be okay, and thank her for being an amazing mom." She turned back to Elizabeth. "God, I don't even remember the last thing I said to her. I was supposed to be with her in her final moment."

"She knows, Care," Cassandra spoke in a gentle voice. "She knows how much you love her and that we're both gonna be okay. And you're here now. This is your chance to say goodbye."

"She's right," Stefan walked up to them. "You still can."

Cassandra jumped to her feet and stepped around to the foot of the bed so Stefan could be next to Caroline. She watched as Stefan began to lead her sister through the steps to enter their mother's mind so she could speak to her through her memories.

Caroline took her mom's hand into both of hers and knelt down. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The room was quiet except for the beeping of the heart monitor. Cassandra wasn't sure if what Caroline was attempting was actually working until she saw Caroline's lips curl into a smile. Then she saw a smile appear on her mom's face. She'd never seen her look more happy and peaceful than she did in that moment.

Cassandra felt the gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder. She turned to her right and found Elijah standing beside her. She flashed him a weak but grateful smile for being there and turned her attention back to her sister. Caroline opened her eyes a moment later with a soft gasp. A second later, Elizabeth took her final breath and the heart monitor gave a long, flatline beep.

"Mom?" Caroline sniffed and stroked her forehead gently. She started to sob as she turned her head toward Stefan and Damon who had come back into the room, bringing Elena and Matt with him. "She's gone," Caroline's voice cracked. A moment later she burst into tears.

Cassandra covered her mouth with her hands as her heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. She stared at her mom's lifeless body and began to sob. Elijah set the baby carrier down on the floor and pulled Cassandra into his arms to console her. Despite the unresolved awkwardness between them, she didn't fight the contact and instead threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his chest. Stefan, Damon, Elena, and Matt stood silently in the room knowing there was nothing they could say to less their friends' pain. Eventually, a nurse came in and turned off the heart monitor. After she left, Elijah reached for the baby carrier with one hand while he kept his other arm around Cassandra and slowly led her out the room.


	39. No More Crying, No More Pain

**Well, here we are guys. I know many of you have been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time. That million-dollar question you've all been asking for some time now, will she or won't she flip her humanity switch, will finally be answered by the end of this chapter. I recommend having some tissues or a hanky nearby because this chapter is just as emotional as the previous one. Having said that, there are a lot of little moments that I really, really enjoyed writing and that I know you'll all love. There is also a brief first appearance of a new character, so keep your eyes open for that and see if you spot it. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and go on this crazy adventure with me. Your words are so touching and are what make all of hours I put into this so, so worth it. Without further adieu, I leave you to read and smile, cry, laugh, and maybe gasp in surprise a time or two. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 39 - No More Crying, No More Pain**

Cassandra's eyes slowly fluttered open after the sound of someone shuffling around stirred her from her slumber. She blinked a few times to get her eyes to adjust to the darkness that surrounded her and realized she was in the living room at the Salvatore Boarding House. Across from where she lay curled up on a small couch, she could make out a longer couch with a blanket that had been folded over to the side. She caught a glimpse of the back of Caroline walking past her on her way to the kitchen. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

She started to nuzzle her face against her pillow when she felt the couch sigh softly. _Wait, couches don't sigh._ She snapped her eyes open and tilted her head back. Her lips parted slightly in surprise when the sleeping form of Tyler came into view. He had the side of his head resting in his right hand which was propped up on the arm of the couch while his other arm rested gently against her shoulder as she lay with her head on a pillow in his lap. She smiled and lowered her head back to her pillow. Before closing her eyes again, she noticed the sleeping forms of Elena and Matt on the floor and Stefan in a chair, all sleeping in between the two couches. She was comforted by their presence and exhaled deeply as her body started to relax. With her eyes closed and while she was still semi-conscious, she extended her supernatural listening ability and listened for her daughter's steady heartbeat and breathing. She smiled when she found it and allowed it to slowly lull her back to sleep.

She was starting to nod off when Caroline's voice jolted her awake. She was speaking to Damon who was still up working on Elizabeth's eulogy. "I think she was trying to teach me a lesson about my own mom," Damon explained in a low voice. I was supposed to do the eulogy at her funeral, and I just—"

"We don't have to share," Caroline cut him off, clearly disinterested.

"Right," Damon murmured in understanding.

"I just mean," Caroline let out a sigh. "Today is pretty much gonna be the worst day of my life. I'm not sure that I need to start it off by bonding with you. No offense."

"None taken."

"Great. Thanks for the water."

There was a short pause before Damon spoke again. "Hey blondie. Today isn't the worst day of your life. Today and tomorrow, it's a cake walk. There'll be people around you and your sister day in and day out, like they're afraid to leave you guys alone. The worst day? That's next week. When there's nothing but quiet. Just a heads up."

"Appreciate the tip," Caroline answered lightly.

Damon's words pierced Cassandra to her core. She already knew them to be true from past experience — the first week away from Hope had been absolute hell, especially during the quietest parts of the night. As bad as that was, she knew without a doubt that this was going to be ten times worse. She didn't yet know how she was going to get through those quiet moments yet to come, but she did know she wouldn't have to get through it alone.

-o-

"When did you get here?" Cassandra asked Tyler later in the morning after they'd woken up. She moved the pillow she'd had her head on to the other side of the couch and ran her fingers through her blonde hair in an attempt to smooth away any bed head she had.

Tyler blinked and stared at her for a long moment before letting out a soft chuckle. "You don't remember, do you? I got to the hospital as you guys were leaving and came back here with you."

Cassandra shook her head. "Not really. It's all a big blur. In any case, I'm really glad you're here." She turned toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him.

"Me too, Cass," he murmured as he hugged her back. "I wish the circumstances were better."

"Yeah," she pulled away from him and brought her arms back to her sides. "Me too."

A soft cooing from behind her caught her attention. She stood up and turned around, smiling as her eyes landed Elijah who was sitting in a leather easy chair gazing down at the Pack 'n Play where Hope sat with a couple of toys to occupy her. They were in a small, open sitting room connected to the Great Room where everyone had slept. She flashed Tyler a smile before walking around the couch to the sitting room, stopping in front of the Pack 'N Play.

"Good morning," Elijah murmured lightly as Hope looked up at Cassandra and squealed in delight.

"Morning," she turned her head to acknowledge Elijah, then looked back at her daughter. "Well, hello there my sweet girl," she purred as she reached down and lifted Hope into her arms. She pressed her cheek against the top of Hope's head for a moment, enjoying her delightful baby scent, then leaned back to gaze at her face as she bounced her gently in her arms. She turned around and walked back over to the couch where Tyler was. He was beaming at her as she sat down beside him. "Tyler, meet my daughter, Hope. Hope," she paused and angled her upper body so Tyler could see Hope's face. "This is your Uncle Tyler."

"Hiya cutie," Tyler grinned at her and slipped a long finger into her tiny hand. She gripped it tight. "Woah. That's a good, strong grip you have there. Definitely a Lockwood characteristic," he chuckled. Hope cooed in response. "Ha! You see that? She agrees with me."

"Uh huh, sure she does," Cassandra rolled her eyes, laughing softly. "Would you like to hold her?"

Tyler nodded his head eagerly. "Absolutely!"

Cassandra carefully passed Hope over to him. He positioned her so she was sitting sideways on his lap, facing Cassandra. "It's hard to believe half of her DNA is from Klaus. All I see is you when I look at her."

"My mom called her my mini me," Cassandra's heart swelled at the memory. She took a deep breath and pushed away the tears that threated to sting her eyes. "And to think you didn't want her coming into this world."

"You're never going to let me forget that are you?"

"Nope. Never. I do promise never to tell her that, though."

"I wouldn't put it past Klaus to use it to try and turn her against me one day," There was a slight edge to his voice.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that," Elijah appeared with a bottle in his hand.

"Yeah," Cassandra placed a hand on top of Tyler's arm. "I won't let that happen. Ever. I promise. I want Hope to be able to make her own decisions about people. Especially family."

"Sounds a lot like some I know," Tyler grinned.

"Well, it should," she poked him in the arm as she grinned back. She turned to Elijah and took the bottle from him to give to Hope who eagerly latched onto the nipple and began to drink. Cassandra held the bottom of it while Hope grasped it near the top with her little hands. She smiled and silently gazed at her daughter until her cell phone began to buzz loudly from on top of the coffee table that sat a foot away from the couch.

"I'm surprised there's still battery power left considering I never plugged it in last night," Cassandra shook her head as she reached for it with her free hand.

"I charged it for you while you were asleep," Elijah told her in a gentle voice. "I also called Niklaus to let him know about your mother, so I expect that's probably him."

"Oh. Thank you, Elijah. I really appreciate it," she smiled at him before glancing down at her phone. "Yep. It's him. Tyler," she looked up at him. "Can you hold the bottle up for Hope while I talk to Klaus?"

"Absolutely," he smiled and took over for her.

She tapped to answer the call and moved over to the small sitting room where the Pack 'n Play was. "Hey."

"Hello, sweetheart. How are you holding up?" He asked in a soft, warm voice as she sat down in one of the leather easy chairs.

"As well ask can be expected I guess. It kinda comes in waves."

"Yes, I reckon it'll be like that for a while. At least you were able to see her one last time and introduce her to our daughter."

"That's what I keep telling myself."

"Speaking of, how is our littlest wolf doing?"

Cassandra turned her head back toward the couch where Tyler sat with Hope. "She's wonderful. Tyler's feeding her right now."

"What?" Klaus let out a low growl, his displeasure clearly evident.

"He's her uncle, Klaus. The sooner you accept that he will be a part of Hope's life, the better," Cassandra sighed. She wasn't in the mood to deal with his attitude, nor did she have the emotional energy to get into an argument with him.

"Fine," he relented, knowing she was dealing with enough at the moment.

"Thank you," she sighed, relieved that he wasn't pushing back this time.

They spoke for a little while longer before hanging up. She held her phone in one hand and walked around the couch to the large kitchen to see if anyone had made coffee. She smiled when her eyes landed on a copper French Press full of freshly made coffee. After searching various cupboards until she found a mug, she poured herself some coffee and added some cream and sugar to it before taking a slow drink.

"Mmmm. Oh my god, that is amazing!" she let out a long, blissful sigh.

"Heh, I'm glad you think so," Stefan chuckled lightly. She turned around to find him standing in the kitchen doorway. "We only drink the highest quality coffee in this house."

"Now you tell me," she let out a soft laugh.

"You're welcome to take some with you back to New Orleans."

"I just might have to take you up on that."

"Good. Hey, have you eaten anything yet?" She shook her head. "Why don't you go back into the living room and relax with Tyler and Hope while I make you something."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," she held up a hand in protest.

"I know, but I want to," he gave her a warm smile.

"Okay, then. Thank you, Stefan. That's sweet of you," she smiled gratefully and turned to head back into the Great Room. She took a seat on the couch next to Tyler and sipped her coffee while she watched him talking softly to Hope, making her squeal and laugh. A little while later Stefan appeared with a plate in his hand and carefully handed it to her along with a fork.

"Thank you," she murmured as she took in the display of fried eggs and toast with boysenberry jam. She picked up a piece of toast and bit into it. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she began eating, and before she knew it, she'd cleared the plate. She started to set the plate down on the coffee table when Elijah offered to take it for her. She handed it to him instead with a soft thank you.

"Hey," she turned to Tyler. "Would you mind watching her while I grab a quick shower?"

"Yeah, of course. Do whatever you gotta do," he nodded.

"Thank you," she smiled and leaned into give Hope a bunch of quick kisses before standing up. She found her bag on the floor next to the Pack n' Play and pulled out a pair of jeans and a charcoal grey long sleeve shirt along with clean undergarments and her toiletries bag. She headed upstairs and disappeared into one of the bathrooms in the many vacant guest rooms. She reemerged forty minutes later fully dressed with her hair washed and dried. When she walked out into the hallway, she nearly bumped into Caroline who was headed for the stairs.

"Oh good, you're up. Put your things away and meet me in the library. I have a list of everything we need to do today," she waved her notepad in the air.

"Okay," Cassandra nodded. They both headed downstairs together and split off once they reached the Great Room. Cassandra quickly put her pajamas and toiletries bag back in her duffle and walked over to the couch. She took Hope from Tyler after he stood up and held her on her left hip. When they got upstairs to the library she sat beside him on the leather couch while Tyler sat on the couch arm next to her, Elena sat in the adjacent leather chair, Matt sat on the chair's arm beside Elena, and Stefan stood with Elijah behind the couch, his hands resting on the edges of a long dark wood cabinet with a tray of liquor-filled crystal decanters and empty glasses placed on top.

"You've all asked what you can do to help," Caroline stood facing everyone front and center, holding up her notepad. "There are five days' worth of projects on here. We are going to do them in one. We can break the rules and cut through the red tape. Yeah, I expect our mom to be properly celebrated and buried by the end of the day."

"Sure, Care. Whatever you need," Matt was first to speak up. Tyler and Stefan nodded in agreement. Cassandra was a little taken aback by the fact that Caroline wanted to get it all done in one day, but she quickly reminded herself of who she was dealing with and decided to let her sister do what she wanted.

"Cass," Caroline's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and forced her to make eye contact with her sister. "You're coming with me."

"Where are we going?" Cassandra asked slowly.

"Casket shopping," Caroline smiled for reasons Cassandra didn't understand.

"W-what?" Cassandra squeaked. "Casket shop—no." Keeping one arm around Hope, she held up her other hand and began shaking her head rapidly back and forth. "I can't…I'm not gonna…how can you even ask me to—"

"It's okay. I'll go with you, Care," Elena quickly jumped into rescue Cassandra.

"Okay, fine," Caroline agreed to it. "Let's move."

"Deep breath, Cassandra," Elijah whispered in a gentle voice as he placed a hand on her arm. She nodded her head and took a couple of breaths to calm herself down.

"You gonna be okay, Cass?" Tyler turned and asked her after Elena, Caroline, and Stefan left the room.

"Yeah,' Cassandra nodded. "I can't believe she thought I'd want to do that with her. And did you see how excited she was about it?"

"You know how she copes with things. She didn't mean any harm by it," Tyler reasoned with her.

"Yeah, I guess," Cassandra shrugged. With a heavy sigh, Cassandra held Hope against her chest as she stood to her feet, then shifted her onto her hip. "So, what _did_ Caroline ask me to do?"

"She left the phone number to your family's lawyer to call about your mom's, uh, will and all that," Tyler told her as they made their way downstairs.

"Oh," Cassandra nodded. "Okay. I can handle that. I think. With Elijah's help," she turned and eyed him.

He nodded his head. "Of course."

"Aright, well, I'm going to go meet up with Matt at the Grill to make sure everything's all set there for the reception," he paused and kissed her on the cheek as he gave her a one-armed hug. "I'll see you later today at the church."

"See you there," Cassandra murmured and watched him walk out the front door.

-o-

Cassandra stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror she was standing in front of and let out a huge sigh. She'd chosen a simple sleeveless knee-length black dress with a bateau neckline and decided to wear comfortable black flats. She put big, loose curls in her hair, and the only makeup she applied was concealer under her eyes. There was no point to anything else when she knew she'd be crying. The only jewelry she wore was the heart necklace Caroline had given her and a pair of pearl earrings her mother had given her when she graduated from high school. Satisfied with her appearance, she turned around and gazed down at the blanket where Hope sat. Cassandra had dressed her in a grey tunic top with ruffles on the bottom, black leggings, white socks with a Mary Jane shoe design, and a black headband with a single black flower.

"Come on, sweetheart. Time to go," Cassandra murmured as she leaned down and picked up Hope and the blanket she'd been sitting on. She carried them both down stairs and found Elijah waiting for her dressed in a neatly pressed black suit and tie.

"Are you ready to head to the church?" He asked softly.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she nodded and followed him over to the couch in the Great Room where the baby carrier was. She quickly buckled Hope in and tucked the blanket around her. When she stood up, Elijah was holding up her black peacoat. She turned around so her back was to him and allowed him to guide her arms through the sleeves until they were all the way through. She smoothed out her hair and buttoned her coat as she faced him. He put on his own peacoat and reached for the baby carrier's handle. She grabbed her small black clutch from the coffee table and the diaper bag from the floor beside it before following him outside to the car.

When they pulled up to the church, a lump formed in her throat at the sight of her mom's police cruiser parked in front of the steps with black fabric draped around it. On the other side of the steps a horse drawn hearse waited to be loaded with the casket holding her mom's body once the funeral service was over. She took a deep breath as Elijah parked the car and then slowly climbed out. While she retrieved Hope's bag, Elijah took the baby carrier out of the back seat.

There were a small number of people milling about outside, and they all gave her sad smiles as she and Elijah walked up the steps. When they stepped inside the church and she saw the open casket with her mother's body, her breath caught in her throat. She swallowed slowly and focused on her breathing. She spotted her sister and Stefan standing a couple feet away from the casket, but then Stefan hugged Caroline and walked away before she could say anything.

Cassandra made her way down the aisle to the casket and stopped beside Caroline, looping her arm around hers. She was amazed at how peaceful their mother looked laying there in her sheriff dress uniform, looking like she was peacefully asleep. She felt her eyes start to water and used her free hand to quickly blot them before any tears could fall.

Caroline slowly stretched out a hand and adjusted their mom's badge as a tear rolled down her cheek. She started to cry, which made Cassandra want to cry, but she was determined to be strong in that moment for her sister. She leaned her head against Caroline's shoulder and gave her a one-armed hug. Caroline leaned back into her and slid her arm around Cassandra's waist in return.

"Cass? Care," Elena spoke in a soft voice as she approached them. Cassandra lifted her head and turned to face Elena as Caroline pulled herself together and turned her head as well. "They're ready. Do you need a minute?"

Caroline shook her head. "No, I'm okay."

"Me too," Cassandra murmured.

Caroline turned back to the casket and gazed down at their mom. "Cass and I will be all right, mom. We promise. Everything will be fine after today."

It struck Cassandra as a slightly odd kind thing to say, and the look she glimpsed on Elena's face told her Elena had thought something similar, but neither voiced any concerns over it.

"I'm ready," Caroline murmured. "You good, Cass?"

"Yeah, I'm ready, too," Cassandra nodded.

They both turned around and made their way over to the front pew. Elijah was already seated and held Hope on his lap. As soon as Cassandra sat down beside him, he handed Hope over to her. Caroline sat down next to her and gently wiggled Hope's tiny hand as she pecked her on the cheek. They were joined a moment later by Stefan, Elena, Damon, Matt, and Tyler.

A hush fell over the entire crowd as the priest walked up to the pulpit to begin the service. "We're here today to pay our tribute and our respect to a pillar of our community. Our sister, our protector Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes. We are also here today to show our love and support for Liz's family and friends."

Cassandra blinked back her tears and slowly reached for Caroline's hand with her left hand while keeping her right arm loosely tucked around Hope. She glanced to her right at her sister and found her gazing down at their joined hands. Caroline looked up at Cassandra and squeezed her hand. Cassandra squeezed back and shifted her eyes back onto the priest.

A moment later, every officer and deputy in attendance rose to their feet. Twelve officers and deputies making up the Honor Guard walked in single file to the front of the church to honor Elizabeth and stood around the casket while the remaining officers stood in the rows of pews. Two of the Honor Guard members stopped on either side of the casket and unfolded a United States flag, carefully laying it over the casket. When they were done, every officer snapped to attention.

The captain of the Honor Guard reached for the radio on his left shoulder and turned his head slightly to speak in it. "Calling Sheriff Forbes." He paused to wait for a response every knew was never coming. "This is the last call for Sheriff Forbes." He waited another moment. Cassandra closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks and squeezed Caroline's hand again before looking up at the Honor Guard.

"No response," the captain confirmed and lowered his arm to his side. "Radio Number two-six is out of service after twelve years and four months of police service. Gone but never forgotten." He spun around and ordered the Guard to face 'center' before they exited the stage in single file formation. After the remaining officers in the audience sat down, Damon made his way up to the pulpit to give the eulogy.

He slowly opened a leather folder he'd brought with him and looked out at the crowd as he began to speak. "Liz Forbes was my friend. In her last moments, she asked me to pass along a message to her daughters, but I cut her off before she could say too much. Told her she could tell Cassandra and Caroline herself. While she didn't actually have to tell her oldest daughter anything because she had been there to hear every word, her youngest didn't." He shifted his eyes onto Caroline and Cassandra. "Your mom wanted you to know how proud of both of you she was. And she should be. You are both beautiful, strong women, a generous friend, and a bright light in a sea of dark." Cassandra and Caroline both smiled at him. "She said you both were extraordinary. And you are. And so was she." His next words were for the entire audience. "Liz was a hero to this town. She was a hero to all of you and she was a hero to me." He paused and turned his head to look at the flag-covered casket as he said his final words. "Goodbye, Sheriff. You will be missed."

He closed his leather folder and slowly made his way down the steps. Cassandra handed Hope to Elijah and stood up to give Damon a hug when he reached the front row. "That was beautiful. Thank you," she whispered in his ear as they embraced.

"You're welcome," he whispered back before letting go and taking his seat next to Elena.

Cassandra met Caroline's eyes and took a deep breath as Caroline nodded at her encouragingly. Cassandra nodded back and turned around to make her way up the steps to the podium. She ran her hands against the fabric of her dress, smoothing it out as she turned around to face everyone.

"Thank you for coming," she began. "I don't actually have a speech written out, which is ironic considering I'm the bona fide writer in the family," she paused to chuckle along with the audience. "So, bear with me as I simply speak from the heart. I am incredibly touched to see so many people here that cared about, admired, and respected my mom as much as her own family did. She is...was one of my best friends in life. She always encouraged my sister and me to do our best and never give up. She was one of the hardest working people I've ever known. All of her late nights at the station meant there would be food on the table and presents for birthdays and Christmases."

"I'm sure many of you have heard the rumors and most if not all of you may have noticed this cute baby girl in the front row which I can confirm is indeed my daughter, Hope. When I found out I was pregnant fifteen months ago, my mom didn't yell or turn me away. She took me by the hands and told me she fully supported me and would be there for me in whatever way I needed. While extenuating circumstances outside of my control forced me to move away, I was fortunate enough to be able to come home with my daughter so she and my mother could meet before it was too late. They met for the first and only time yesterday afternoon. It was the second most incredible moment of my life, the first being when I held my daughter seconds after she was born." She took a beat to reign in her emotions as a wave washed over her, making her eyes sting with tears. "It is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. And even though my daughter won't remember meeting her grandmother when she's older, I have peace knowing that she'll be able to know her through the memories me and my sister will share with her, and that my mom's legacy will live on through us and her."

She turned around to face the casket and didn't stop the tears that began trickling down her cheeks. " _You_ are extraordinary, mom. I love you!" She brought her fingertips to her lips and kissed them before placing them gently on top of the casket. When she was done, she made her way back to the front row. Caroline stood as she reached the pews and wrapped her arms around Cassandra in a tight hug. Cassandra hugged her back just as tightly. After a long moment they broke apart and Caroline slowly made her way up to the pulpit while Cassandra sat back down next to Elijah. Wordlessly, he reached into his front jacket pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. He held it out to her and she graciously took it, wiping her eyes before leaning her head against his shoulder while she reached for Hope's hand.

"This is for my mom," Caroline said in a light voice. She paused and then began to sing. " _Go in peace. Go in kindness. Go in love. Go in faith. Leave the day, the day behind us. The day is done. Go in grace._ " More tears fell down Cassandra's cheeks as Caroline's voice swelled and grew louder. " _Let us go into the dark. Not afraid. Not alone. Let us hope, by some good pleasure, safely to arrive at home."_

-o-

After a small, private graveside ceremony where honorary shots were fired, the flag covering Elizabeth's casket was folded into a triangle and presented to Cassandra because she was the oldest daughter, and trumpets played 'Taps', everyone went over to the Mystic Grill for the reception. A table had been set up at the front of the restaurant with candles and flowers, along with a picture of Elizabeth and a guestbook for people to sign. Cassandra placed the folded flag on the table and gazed at the photo of her mother for a long moment before forcing herself to continue moving forward. She found a booth in the area below the bar and sat down on one side. Elijah set the baby carrier down on the floor next to her and watched with a small smile as Cassandra unbuckled Hope and lifted her out.

"I'm going to go get you a drink," Elijah murmured as Cassandra placed Hope onto her lap. She nodded and watched him walk off for a moment before gazing down at her daughter. Even though she had a pacifier in her mouth, she still managed to give Cassandra a little bit of a smile.

"That was a lovely little speech you gave," an unfamiliar voice with a slight English accent spoke, pulling her attention away from Hope. She looked up to see a man with dark brown hair who looked to be around her age. He wore dark blue jeans, a black shirt and a leather jacket. "Quite touching, in fact."

"Thank you," she smiled politely.

"I had no idea Caroline had a sister."

"You know my sister?"

"I certainly do. I must admit I'm slightly hurt that she never said anything about you," the man chuckled softly and held out his hand. "Lorenzo St. John, but please, call me Enzo."

"Cassandra," she shook his hand. "And this is my daughter, Hope."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cassandra," Enzo released her hand after a moment. He smiled at Hope who looked up at him with big, curious eyes. "Well, hello there, cutie."

Hope smiled which caused her pacifier to fall out of her mouth, but before it could hit the floor, Stefan appeared out of nowhere and effortlessly caught it in his hand. He slipped it back into her mouth and turned to face Enzo.

"What are you doing here, Enzo?" He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"Relax, mate, I'm just paying my respects and all that. No need to get all uppity and defensive," he smiled innocently. "You know, none of you ever mentioned Caroline has an older sister. I wonder why that is?"

"No reason," Stefan answered nonchalantly. "It just never came up."

"Hold on," Cassandra held up a hand. "You two know each other?"

"Well, I'm actually Damon's longtime friend, but Stefan and I are acquainted. Aren't we?"

A lightbulb turned on in Cassandra's head. "Ooooh. I get it now. You're a vampire."

Enzo blinked in surprise and curled his lips into a grin. "Well, well. Give the lady a prize."

"What are you still doing here? Leave," Stefan spoke in a low voice. Cassandra looked back and forth from him to Enzo, trying to understand what was going on. She could tell from the sound of his voice and the rigid, tense stance of his body and face that Stefan was not a fan of Enzo's. If Stefan's dislike of this man was so strong, there had to be a reason for it. The thought sent a chill down Cassandra's spine.

"Gentlemen," Elijah walked up to the booth with two drinks in his hands. "Might I advise you to move this conversation to a more appropriate venue, say, outside?"

"Alright, I'm going," Enzo raised his hands in defeat. He gave Cassandra a courteous nod before turning around and walking away.

"What was that all about?" Elijah asked as he handed one of the drinks to Cassandra.

"It's a long story," Stefan sighed. "Just watch your back where he's concerned."

"Dually noted," Elijah gave him a nod.

"Vague, but today I'm willing to accept vague, so okay," Cassandra nodded. She took a big gulp of her drink, a bourbon on the rocks, and cracked a small smile. "I will want more details tomorrow, or perhaps the day after that."

"Deal," Stefan smiled at her. "Alright, I am going to get out of the way so other people can come talk to you."

She nodded and watched as he disappeared into the crowd of people. Almost like clockwork, people began making their way over to her to hug her and offer their condolences. From deputies to teachers from Mystic Falls High, all had nothing but wonderful things to say about her mother and the fond memories they had of her. Naturally, everyone she mingled with fawned over Hope who did surprisingly well around the large gathering of people. Cassandra held her the entire time, drawing comfort from her scent and warmth.

"How did I get so lucky?" Cassandra gazed down at her daughter, giving her a big smile. Hope smiled and let out a loud, squeaky coo which made Cassandra laugh.

"I that's baby-speak for 'I'm the one who's lucky'," Tyler laughed softly as he approached them and gave Cassandra a one-armed hug.

"Alright," Cassandra nodded with a chuckle. "I can live with that answer."

"So, I had this interesting conversation with Matt a little bit ago," Tyler held Hope's hand while he spoke. "He had this idea and—"

"Cass!" Caroline walked up to them, cutting off Tyler as she called out Cassandra's name. "Oh, hey Tyler," she quickly acknowledged him. "You ready to head home?"

"Yeah," Cassandra nodded. "It's way past this one's bedtime," she bounced Hope lightly in her arms. She hugged Tyler and walked over to the booth where she had left her things. After placing Hope in her carrier and buckling her in, she tucked her blanket around her and made sure she'd gathered all of her belongings before up the baby carrier by the handle.

She stopped by the table where the guest book was and picked up the folded flag before heading to the front door. She stopped beside Caroline who was buttoning up her coat and flashed her a tiny smile.

"Hey. Are you guys leaving?" Elena asked in a soft voice as she walked up to them.

"Yeah," Caroline turned toward her. "I think Cass and I have done the whole funeral thing enough for one day."

"Let me walk you both home," Elena offered.

"No. It's two blocks. We'll be fine, Elena," Caroline turned her down.

"Or, crazy idea, Elijah can drive us," Cassandra nodded at Elijah who had joined them by the door.

"I just don't think it's a good idea for you, either of you, to be alone tonight, you know?" Elena gently tried to dissuade Caroline.

"I'm inclined to agree with you, Elena," Elijah murmured.

"I think that some quality sister time is exactly what Cassandra and I need, actually," Caroline smiled as she secured her purse over her shoulder.

Cassandra took a small breath and met Elijah's eyes. "We'll be fine, I promise."

"Very well," he gave a small nod. "If you need anything—"

"I promise to call you," Cassandra gave him a quick hug while Caroline hugged Elena.

"I'll be fine, Elena," she heard Caroline murmur in a soft voice. "I just had to get through today."

It struck Cassandra as an odd sentiment, but she wasn't up to talking to her sister about it, so she filed it away for later. She hugged Elena as Caroline opened the door before picking up the baby carrier and following her sister outside. The walk to the house was a silent one with neither sister saying anything at all. When they arrived at the front door, Caroline reached for the handle and slowly pushed it open. The house was dark and had a quiet eeriness about it. Cassandra followed Caroline inside and into the living room. She set the baby carrier down next to the couch and let the diaper bag and her purse fall down to the ground beside it while she cradled the folded flag in her other arm. She carefully set it down on top of the coffee table and knelt down to unbuckle Hope and pick her up.

"Oh, she's fast asleep," Cassandra whispered as she cradled her daughter in her arms. "I'll be right back."

She grabbed the diaper bag and disappeared down the hall to her room. She quickly and skillfully changed her into a sleeper without waking her and left her laying in the middle of her bed while she set up the Pack 'n Play. She suspected she had Elijah to thank for bringing it back at some point during the day after they'd brought it to the Salvatore Boarding House the previous night. Once she had it ready to go, she gently laid Hope down inside of it and draped the blanket loosely over her body before quietly leaving the room.

She let out a huge sigh as she walked down the hall into the living room and stopped when her eyes landed on Caroline standing next to the big easy chair holding their mother's gray sweater up to her face. She approached Caroline and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They stayed that way for a long moment until Caroline had had enough and put the sweater back down on the chair before pulling away from her.

"Hey Caroline," Cassandra spoke in a gentle voice as Caroline picked up a stack of dvds from the coffee table and walked over to where the tv was to put them away. "I...um, wanted to ask you—"

"I said I was fine, Elena," Caroline kept her back to Cassandra as she spoke, cutting her off. "Cass and I are fine."

Cassandra spun around and found Elena standing in the doorway. "Elena?"

"I don't believe you," Elena answered calmly. Caroline rolled her eyes and slowly turned around to face her and Cassandra "All day something has been bugging me. You wanted to pack this all in so quickly like you had somewhere you needed to be."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Cassandra nodded in agreement. Her eyes followed Caroline who walked over to coffee table and picked up a sweater to fold it.

Elena slowly walked farther into the living room. "You were so concerned with getting through today without a hint of how you'd feel tomorrow. And then I realized. You don't wanna feel tomorrow. That's the plan, right? You're not going to feel tomorrow because you're gonna turn it all off."

"Oh, Caroline. No, don't do that," Cassandra pleaded in a soft voice. Caroline set the folded sweater back down on the coffee table and stared at Cassandra and Elena, stone-faced.

"I thought I could get through the rough patch, especially with Cass being here, and then just pick myself up after like I usually do," Caroline murmured. "But then Damon made me realize it's just going to get worse."

"This is about what he said to you in the kitchen in the middle of the night, isn't it?" Cassandra realized. "I was awake and heard what he said, too."

"You listened to Damon?" Elena raised her eyebrows in surprise as Caroline carried a stack of newspapers over to a basket on the floor by the wall and dropped them inside.

"I can't do worse, Elena," Caroline turned around to face her. "Okay? I didn't even think there was a worse." She walked past her to the coffee table to continue straightening things up. "It's better this way."

"Better? Care, you're talking about flipping the humanity switch. There's nothing better about that," Elena shook her head.

Caroline stopped what she was doing and looked at Elena. "That is your experience. Okay? I have more control over my vampire self than you ever did. My experience will be different."

"It's not gonna be different, Care. It's gonna be deadly. You saw what happened to me when I did it," Elena argued.

"Yeah, that's my point, Elena," Caroline snapped. "You did it. You couldn't handle the pain when your brother died, so you turned it off. Damon died, and you erased all your memories. Sefan moved to Savannah and became an auto mechanic. What, do you think that you guys are the only ones who get to escape grief?"

"You just mentioned two of the biggest mistakes that I ever made," Elena whispered.

"Were they mistakes?" Caroline challenged her claim. "Because when you came out the other end, the worst part of the pain was gone. And that's what I need. I just need the pain to be gone."

"If Stefan had said the right thing earlier, would that have changed your mind?" Elena asked, tilting her head slightly. Caroline stared at her in shock, unable to speak. "Yeah, I heard."

"Well, he didn't, so it doesn't really matter," Caroline muttered, wiping tears from her cheek.

"What about me, Caroline?" Cassandra asked in a quiet voice. "You said so yourself that you're more in control of your vampirism then the rest of us. I'm still learning how to work through it all and this grief, this sadness and emptiness in my heart, I can't get through it without you."

"You should turn it all off, too, Cass," Caroline told her.

"W-what?" Cassandra squeaked. "Turn off my humanity?"

"Yes," Caroline nodded.

"Caroline!" Elena hissed, frowning in dismay. Caroline ignored her and walked over to Cassandra.

"Can you honestly tell me you don't want to be free from this as much as I do?" She took Cassandra by the hands as her eyes glistened with fresh tears. "It hurts so bad I can't breathe, Cass," she started to sob. "I can't…I can't do worse. I can't, okay?" She shook her head back and forth. "I shouldn't have to. And neither should you."

"I know, Care. Believe me, I hurt just as much as you do," Cassandra whispered as she wrapped her arms around her in a hug. They hugged each other tightly as they cried.

"So, let's turn it all off together, then," Caroline slowly lifted her head to meet Cassandra's eyes.

"I can't, Care," Cassandra shook her head. "Believe me, I would love nothing more than to make this nightmare fade away and not feel the pain, but I have my daughter to think about now. She needs me, depends on me to be strong."

"Right, your daughter," Caroline trailed off, glancing over at the hallway. "Okay, then why don't I go eliminate your emotional leash. You should have no problem turning it off after that."

"Caroline!" Elena hissed sharply.

Cassandra's eyes widened in shock. "Wha…how can you say that?" She let go of Caroline and stepped back. "Oh my god," She covered her mouth with her hand. "You flipped it off."

"Yeah, and now I'm going to go end the one thing that's keeping you from doing the same thing," Caroline started to walk toward the hallway.

Cassandra whooshed in front of her and held her hands out. "No," She yelled and flashed her hybrid face at her sister as a warning. "You're not going anywhere near my daughter."

"What…are you gonna stop me by biting me?" Caroline scoffed. "You could do that, but then I'll die because there's no way Klaus would get here in time to save me with his blood. Come on, Cass. I'm sure even Elena here knows you'd never actually go through with that, not after we just buried our mother."

"Try to hurt my daughter in any way and you'll leave me no choice, Caroline," Cassandra spoke in a firm, no-nonsense voice.

"Aw, come on, Cass," Caroline softened her voice. "Just turn it off then. One year. That's all I'm asking for. Hope won't remember any of it when she's older anyway."

Cassandra folded her arms across her chest and shook her head. "I can't Caroline. I'm sorry," She stared to turn around to walk down the hall to her room, intending to grab Hope and high-tail out of there, but Caroline grabbed her arm and spun her back around before grabbing her throat with the other.

"No, you're not. You're just being controlled by a leash, one I intend to free you from _right now_ ," she spoke in a calm voice before throwing Cassandra backwards onto the floor in the living room with a burst of vampire strength.

Cassandra let out a loud groan and rolled onto her back. She slowly sat up and noticed Caroline had vanished. _Oh my god. Hope!_ She whooshed out of the living room and down the hallway, coming to a stop in her bedroom doorway. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of Caroline standing next to the Pack 'N Play where Hope lay sound asleep.

"Caroline!" Cassandra hissed.

"It'll be a quick snap of the neck. Fast and painless," Caroline murmured back, keeping her gaze on her niece.

Cassandra's heart pounded in her chest. There was no other way. She had to give in to protect her daughter. "No! Don't. I'll do it, okay? Just…leave my daughter out of this."

"Don't do it, Cass," Elena appeared behind Cassandra and placed a hand on her shoulder, but she was too late.

Cassandra closed her eyes and made the conscious decision to turn off her emotions. With the snap of a finger, they were gone, and she felt absolutely nothing. She slowly opened her eyes and looked from her sister to Elena's horror-stricken face. Elena started to reach into her coat pocket for her phone when Cassandra whooshed behind her and grabbed her neck, snapping it with a flick of her wrist and sending Elena flopping to the hallway floor in a heap.

"Goodnight, Elena," Cassandra stared down at her motionless body, then looked up at Caroline. "So, what now?"

"Now," Caroline flashed her a wicked smile. "The fun can begin."


	40. Let's Have Some Fun

**Wow, you guys. I am still stunned by all of your comments on the last chapter. I wasn't expecting the backlash against Caroline, though I realize I should have seen it coming. Having said that, all I have to say on the matter is to remember that she wasn't herself when she decided to go after Hope. She had already turned off her humanity by then. So all I ask is that you keep that in mind. Other than that, you are all entitled to your opinions and I will respect each and every one of them. Okay, moving on. This next chapter and the few to follow I am really excited about. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun I had exploring a humanity-less Cassandra. You'll get some glimpses of it in this chapter, but it won't really become evident until the next chapter. Having said that, I know this chapter is a little bit on the shorter side. My original plan was for this chapter and the next one to actually be one chapter, but once I went over 8,000 words while knowing I still had a good couple thousand more to go, I decided to break it up into two. It's solely a personal preference on my part. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this one.**

* * *

 **Chapter 40 - Let's Have Some Fun**

"You sure you remember everything you need to say to him?" Caroline eyed Cassandra skeptically. They were seated on the couch in the living room where Cassandra held her phone in her hand, preparing to make a call.

"Yes, Care. We went over it, like, ten times. I've got this," Cassandra nodded as she scrolled the contacts on her phone until she found the one she was searching for. She tapped the name she wanted and held her phone up to her ear once she'd dialed it.

"Cassandra," Elijah answered in a velvety voice after two rings. "Is something the matter? Are you and Hope all right?"

"Everything's fine, Elijah. We're fine," She used her best, calm voice. "She's fast asleep. I was hoping that maybe you could watch her for me for a little while. It's been a little bit tougher to be at the house than my sister and I expected, and we want go out for a bit and blow off a little steam, that kind of thing."

"Of course. I'd be happy to watch Hope," Elijah answered in a gentle voice. "I can be over there in a few—"

"No!" Cassandra yelped a little too loudly. She cleared her throat and regained her calm voice. "I-I mean, uh, that's okay. We'll come to you. You're at the Salvatore Boarding House?"

"Yes. They have graciously allowed me to stay in one of the vacant guest rooms."

"Okay, good. Well, I'll be there to drop off Hope in twenty minutes."

"Alright. I'll see you then."

She hit the 'end' button and looked up at Caroline who had a pleased smile on her face.

"Great," she rubbed her hands together excitedly. "While you get Hope into her car seat, I'll pack up the playpen and we can get outta here."

"What about her?" Cassandra nodded at Elena's lifeless body.

"Just leave her. I want to enjoy the next few hours of freedom before she comes to and blabs to everyone," Caroline stared at Elena for a second before rising to her feet.

Cassandra gripped her phone in her hand as she stood up and started to take a step when it began to buzz in her hand. She looked down at the screen and let out a soft breath. "It's Klaus." She looked at Caroline. "I have to play this just right. If he suspects anything at all, he'll have Elijah over here in five minutes, and after that we're pretty much screwed."

"Okay," Caroline nodded. She folded her arms across her chest and watched as Cassandra tapped her phone screen to answer the call and held it up to her ear.

"Hey," she answered in a soft voice.

"Hello, love," Klaus's low, warm voice echoed in her ear. "I just wanted to see how you were holding up."

"I'm...coping," Cassandra murmured as she sat back down on the couch. "Having our daughter around to focus my energy on is a good distraction. I'm sure I'd be much worse without her."

"I'm glad you have her there, too. Elijah told me about the speech you gave today. I wish I could have been there to hear it."

"Yeah, it was a very last minute-thing. I didn't have time to write it out beforehand. Just don't ask me to recite it because it's pretty much a big blur."

"Wouldn't dream of it, love," Klaus chuckled softly. "It does seem like a rather fast progression of events. Usually a funeral service takes a few days to arrange."

"True, but you know my planner of a sister. She wanted it all done in one day. To be honest," Cassandra tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm glad it's all over with."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"So I don't have to think about it anymore and can focus on getting through the grief and moving on with my life."

Klaus let out another soft chuckle. "Mmm, right you are. Well, I won't keep you any longer. I just wanted to hear your voice and let you know I'm here for you for whatever you need. Be strong, sweetheart. I love you."

"I appreciate that. And I love you too," she murmured in a soft voice.

"Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight."

She hung up and let out a breath of air as she grinned at Caroline.

"Bravo, Cass," Caroline grinned back at her. "Even I started to believe you for a second."

"Nothin' to it," Cassandra rose to her feet.

"Okay, let's get Hope and get out of here," Caroline motioned toward the front door with her head.

Cassandra nodded and hurried down the hall to her room. She carefully lifted a sleeping Hope out of the Pack N' Play and gently laid her down in her carrier. While she buckled her in and tucked a warm blanket around her, Caroline packed up the playpen. When they were done and ready to leave they grabbed their purses from the living room and headed out to Caroline's car. A couple of minutes later they were on the road.

"You know you have to be as convincing as possible, right?" Caroline cast a quick sideways glance at her older sister. "Over the phone is one thing, but face to face...if Elijah starts to suspect even the slightest thing is off with you, it's game over."

"I know, I know," Cassandra sighed, tapping her fingers lightly on the edge of the car door. "Don't be such a worry wart."

"Oh, I'm not worried. I just don't want our night cut short."

"It won't be."

"Well, I guess we're about to find out," Caroline murmured as she pulled to a stop in front of the Salvatore Boarding House.

Cassandra silently climbed out of the car and retrieved the Pack 'n Play from the trunk before getting Hope in her carrier and the diaper bag out of the back seat. She slipped the bag onto her shoulder and picked up the carrier with one hand and the Pack 'n Play with the other. When she reached the front door and began to extend her hand toward the doorknob, it opened before she could grasp it.

"Oh," she recoiled and blinked in surprise. "Elijah. Hey."

"I apologize if I startled you. I heard the car pull up," he murmured softly.

"It's okay," she gave him a tiny smile. "No harm done."

"Good. Here, let me help you with those," he took the diaper bag from her shoulder with one hand and reached for the Pack 'n Play with the other, setting them down behind him in the foyer.

"Thanks again for doing this," Cassandra smiled gratefully as she passed him the baby carrier. "She's fast asleep."

"Of course. I'm always happy to watch over my niece."

"I'm glad she has you. Anyway, Caroline's waiting for me so I should get going. I'll let you know when we're on our way back to pick up Hope."

He nodded and watched as she turned around and headed back to the car. She climbed into the passenger seat and flashed him one last smile as she buckled her seatbelt. She waited until Caroline had backed out of the driveway and was back on the main road before letting out a relieved breath.

"Whew! Glad that's over with. Now the fun can really begin," she rubbed her hands together eagerly. "So where are we going, again?"

"There's this place near campus I've been wanting to check out for ages. I thought this was the perfect occasion to finally do it," Caroline explained.

"Oh. Cool," Cassandra nodded. She leaned forward and began fiddling with the radio until she found a satisfactory station to leave it on. Her head bobbled lightly to the music as they drove down the main highway towards Whitmore College.

Thirty minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of a two-story brick with tall open windows and a bright red neon sign in big letters that read _Scull Bar_. From the number of cars in the parking lot to the groups of people hanging around outside, it was obvious that the place was popular.

"'Scull Bar'," Cassandra read the sign aloud. "Interesting name."

"Yeah." Caroline nodded.

Cassandra could hardly wait to find someone to sink her teeth into. She could feel her mouth begin to salivate at the thought of the dozens of human hearts pumping warm blood through each person's body. The only problem was her sister. Caroline wanted to keep a low profile and feeding out in the open was the exact opposite. _I'll just have to figure out how to slip away,_ she decided. _Maybe after Caroline's had a few drinks and loosened up._

After parking the car, they went inside and found two empty seats at the bar. They both shrugged off their coats and draped them on the back of their chairs before taking their seats. The bartender was quick to walk over to them and place empty coasters on the bar top in front of them.

"Good evening, ladies. What can I getcha?" He asked with a friendly smile on his face. He had short brown hair and light brown, barely-there scruff on his chin and jawline. In Cassandra's opinion, he wasn't half bad to look at.

"Bourbon. Neat," Caroline was quick to answer.

"Make that two," Cassandra added.

"Comin' right up," he nodded and turned around to retrieve two glass tumblers. He returned with them and set them down on the coasters before grabbing a bottle of bourbon and pouring some into the tumblers. "There you go. Can I get you ladies anything else?"

"Nope," Caroline reached for her glass. "Just keep that bottle nearby. And start a tab for us."

"You got it," he nodded and walked over to the other end of the bar where the register was.

Cassandra picked up her glass and brought it up to her lips, taking a big sip. The liquid burned her throat on the way down and left a trail of warmth behind. She swallowed another gulp which went down more smoothly than the first.

"So," she turned to Caroline and held up her glass. "Here's to…"

"A fresh start?" Caroline suggested as she raised her glass.

"Works for me," Cassandra tapped her glass against Caroline's before taking another sip.

-o-

"Hello?" Caroline raised her left arm and held up her empty glass two hours later as she slumped forward against the bar top. "I'm empty. Fill please."

The bartender narrowed his eyes while he dried off his hands with a small white towel. "I think you've had enough."

Caroline sighed and set down her glass. "Look at my face," she pointed with her finger. "This is me straining to care less about what you think." She gazed into the bartender's eyes for a long couple of seconds before letting out a laugh. "Nope. Can't."

"Okay," the bartender smiled politely, draping the towel he'd been holding in his hands over his right shoulder. "I'm gonna call you a cab."

He started to turn away when Cassandra, who'd been watching the entire interaction, reached for his arm, stopping him. "Woah, hang on. There's no need to do that. Here's the thing. Our mom just died."

"As in, we just put her dead, cancer-riddled body into the ground four hours and thirty-two minutes ago," Caroline added.

The bartender's face softened as he shook his head sadly. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Oh, no-no-no-no," Caroline held up a hand, shaking her head back and forth. "I'm just saying that my feet have been crammed in the world's most uncomfortable heels for an entire day and your tequila is the only thing that seems to be helping."

"It's true," Cassandra nodded, releasing the bartender's arm. "She really has been wearing those heels all day."

"Okay," The bartender sighed and reached for the towel draped over his shoulder. "I'll grab you another drink."

"Thank you," Caroline murmured politely.

"Make that two," Cassandra told him. He nodded and turned around to fill up two glasses.

"Caroline Forbes, the girl from the swimming hole," A young, college age boy with dark brown hair and wearing a red button-up shirt stopped on the other side of her and set his bottle of beer.

"Liam," Caroline propped her elbow on top of the table and leaned the side of her head into her arm as she gazed up at him with an amused look in her eyes. "The boy I totally forgot existed."

"Ouch. And I was just about to tell you how sexy you looked," he smiled at her. His eyes trailed past her to Cassandra who'd been curiously observing the interaction. He flashed her a smile. "And who's this with you?"

"Her older sister. Cassandra," Cassandra held out her hand to him.

"Pleasure to meet you, Cassandra," He reached for her hand and gave it a firm shake. "Wow, two sexy Forbes sisters. Must be my lucky night."

"Wow," Caroline laughed. "You are drunk."

"Slightly buzzed," he nodded. "I'm getting my ass whooped in shuffle board upstairs."

"They have shuffle board in this place?" Cassandra glanced up at the second floor. "Impressive…if you're over the age of fifty."

"Lucky you," Caroline adjusted her posture and sat up straighter. "I stood all day at my mom's funeral." She paused and gazed at him. "God, you're cute. Are you a doctor yet?"

"Hang on," he tilted his head. "Your mom just died?"

"Do you wanna get out of here?" Caroline ignored his question. Hers caught him completely off guard.

"I…" He stammered.

"What? Girlfriend? We all know you're not dating Elena Gilbert," Caroline swished her head from side to side and leaned in closer to him.

"Why would I be dating Elena?" He laughed, shaking his head slightly at the idea.

"You wouldn't," Caroline laughed. "But even if you were, it wouldn't matter. Because nothing matters. Not a thing," she tapped his chest and began to slowly trail her fingers up in a walking motion as she leaned in like she was about to kiss him.

Cassandra shook her head and chuckled softly at her sister's attempt at seducing Liam. It apparently worked because a moment later Caroline was out of her seat and leading Liam outside.

"Have fun, you two," Cassandra called out after them. She chuckled again and turned back to the bar. "Oh," her eyes landed on the two untouched glasses of tequila. "More for me then."

She picked up one glass and took a long drink from it. Seconds passed, and she quickly realized how bored she was. _Well, now I can freely feed on whoever I want. The question is…who's first?_ Her answer came a few minutes later when the bartender flashed her a friendly smile as he took her empty glass.

"I've gotta go on my break, so if you need anything, Paul here is your guy," he motioned at the dark-skinned guy to his left who was mixing a martini.

"Got it," she nodded and picked up Caroline's glass. As she sipped from it, she watched the bartender walk around the bar area and head toward the back of the building. She quickly downed the glass of tequila before jumping to her feet and speeding after him. He reached a door marked _Employees Only_ and pulled it open. Before he walked in, one of the bus boys said something to him, giving Cassandra the moment she needed to whoosh past him.

She found herself in a small room with a set of twelve-inch lockers along one wall, a table and chairs near the other, a small refrigerator, a built-in countertop and sink, and other kitchen necessities. She pressed her back against the refrigerator and waited until she heard the bartender enter the room and shut the door behind him before making her presence known.

He jumped when she appeared in front of him out of nowhere. "Where…how'd…" he looked around. "You shouldn't be in here. This is for employees only."

"Oh, I know that," Cassandra raised her eyebrows as she smiled at him. "I just don't care. I," she stepped forward until she was directly in front of him. "Have been dying to know what you taste like since the moment I got here."

"W-what?" The bartender stammered, his eyes widening slightly.

"Sssssh," Cassandra pressed a finger to his lips. She looked into his eyes, compelling him. "Don't make a sound."

She grabbed his head, tilting it to the side and flashing him her hybrid face and baring her fangs before biting into his neck. She could hear his heart beating frantically inside his chest as she drank his blood. Oh, it tasted divine! The best part was there was no one to stop her. Not her own conscious. Not Elijah. And especially not—

"Cass! Stop!" Caroline appeared and pulled Cassandra back.

"What?" Cassandra hissed as blood dribbled down her chin.

"Don't kill him," Caroline ordered in an adamant voice.

"Why not? I'm hungry. He's food," Cassandra started to turn her head back toward him when Caroline stopped her again.

"Because we don't need a trail of bodies leading everyone to us. Think about it. You were the last person to be seen with him. That makes you a person of interest. The police would want to speak to you and question you."

"So?" Cassandra still didn't see the point. "I'm a hybrid. I'd just eat them or rip out their hearts."

"What if one of them reminds you of our dead mother?"

"Hmm. I suppose that could be a problem. Okay. I see your point."

"Thank god. Now hurry up and fix up Mr. Bartender so we can get out of here. We've got things to do."

Cassandra let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine." She turned around to face the bartender and brought her wrist up to her mouth, biting into it with her fangs. She pressed her bleeding wrist against his mouth for a few seconds until he'd ingested enough and watched as the bite mark on his neck slowly disappeared. Looking him in the eyes, she quickly compelled him. "Clean yourself up and finish up your break. You will not remember any of this. You came back here and took your break like you normally do."

When she was done, she watched him as he walked over to the sink to clean himself up, then turned around to face her sister. "Okay, what things do we have to do?"

"I'll explain on the way. Come on," Caroline motioned for her to follow.

-o-

"Coming back to life is complicated. Trust me, I've done it before," Cassandra heard an unexpected, familiar voice speaking as she followed Caroline down the hallway to the dorm she shared with Elena and Bonnie the following morning. After leaving the bar, she and Caroline came back to the dorm and packed up all of Caroline's things. Caroline wanted a fresh start and felt the only way to achieve that was to get rid of the old before bringing in the new. From the dorms they went back to their mother's house in Mystic Falls and repeated the process of packing everything up. Caroline wanted to throw everything away, but Cassandra was able to convince her not to.

"One day, it could be a year, or two, or ten, we'll both have our humanity back and wish we hadn't gotten rid of all of this. I'm only saving us from that guilt when that day comes. Trust me on this. We'll put it away in storage and forget about it for as long as we want, but it will still be there when the day comes that we're ready to go through it again," Cassandra had explained. Once Caroline agreed, Cassandra handled the arrangements and had everything moved to a storage facility a few miles outside of town. By the time they'd finished, the sun had risen which meant shops would soon be opening. After a morning of shopping, they'd finally returned to Whitmore College, each carrying a few shopping bags on each arm, and that's when she heard Bonnie's voice.

"Besides, we have a roommate and her older hybrid sister without their humanity in a severe need of an intervention," Bonnie stated as Caroline opened the door to the dorm room.

"Caroline, Cass, you're here," Elena stared in shock at the pair as they came into the room.

"And you're perceptive," Caroline walked across the room to her bed and set her bags down on top of the mattress. Cassandra followed behind her and stopped on the other side of the bed before setting down the bags she'd been holding next to Caroline's.

"Wow," Cassandra turned around to face Elena and Bonnie, folding her arms across her chest. "Bonnie Bennett back from the dead. Again. You're like…a cat with nine lives. Although, I guess, considering how many times you've died and come back, you're down to what...six now?"

"Uh, nice to see you again, too, Cass," Bonnie answered slowly.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked Caroline in a light yet concerned voice.

"Starting over. New everything!" Caroline answered excitedly. She began pulling things out of the shopping bags. "New sheets, new clothes. Hey, I even got us," she pulled out a box and turned toward them, holding it up for them to see. "A new blow dryer. Oh my god," she noticed Bonnie for the first time. "Bonnie's back. Hi. I thought you were trapped in 1994."

"I got out," Bonnie flashed her a small smile.

"Huh," Caroline shrugged lightly and turned back to her shopping bags.

Elena blinked in surprise at Caroline's disinterest and shook her head slightly. "Uh, w-we've been worried about you, Care. You and Cass."

"You mean you were worried about those around me and my sister," Caroline answered as she pulled a turquoise dress out of another bag and held it up. "Like if we killed them. Okay," she turned her head toward them. "Funny story. You remember Liam?"

"Oh!" Cassandra jumped in. "Caroline told me all the juicy deets while we were shopping." She turned to Bonnie to fill her in. "So Liam was this pre-med guy that Elena dated for a little while, but then she realized she still had feelings for Damon, so she compelled Liam to forget they ever had a thing."

"What did you do to Liam?" Elena looked at Caroline with worry-filled eyes.

"I ate him," Caroline answered, her face completely serious. "And he was delicious. You know how cute guys just naturally taste better?"

"You killed Elena's ex?" Bonnie stared at her in disbelief.

"Okay, can I tell my story please?" Caroline walked around the length of the bed and sat down on a chest placed on the floor by the foot of the bed, scoffing in annoyance. She glanced from Elena to Cassandra. "Remind me why we're glad she's back again?"

"Please tell me that Liam is not dead," Elena begged.

"Fine," Caroline let out a breath. "So I was feeding. And then that little voice inside my head that tells me to stop? He never piped up."

She went onto explain how Liam, in his weakened state, managed to get blood on her necklace which irritated her. It also made her realize what exactly she'd have to do if she did drain him of all his blood, and she definitely wasn't in the mood to go through all of the trouble to hide his body or deal with the resulting investigation should his dead body be found and lead back to her.

"So you didn't kill him because it would be inconvenient?" Elena tried to understand Caroline's logic.

"Elena, I shut off my humanity. I didn't turn into an idiot. The last thing I want to do is give you a reason to ruin my life," Caroline picked up the bottle of champagne that Elena had conveniently set down on the chest and brought it up to her lips to take a drink from it.

"It's true," Cassandra loosely folded her arms. "I was seconds away from killing a bartender last night when Caroline kindly yet annoyingly interrupted me and explained her logic. So said bartender lived to see another day."

Caroline set the bottle of champagne back down and stood up. "In return for our good behavior, we want a year where we don't have to feel pain, or grief, or remorse. You're not gonna lock us up in a cell and dry us out. And you're definitely not gonna try to trigger some latent emotion hoping to snap our humanity back on."

"So all you want is for us to leave you both alone and then you promise not to kill anyone?" Elena asked skeptically.

"That's all I want," Caroline nodded with a smile. "Now, granted, if anyone tries anything to flip my or my sister's switch back on, and I mean _anything_ ," her face grew serious. "I'll become your worst nightmare."

"Or, you know, I could just bite them," Cassandra added with a wicked twinkle in her eyes. "And then they'd die a painful, torturous death because there's no way Klaus would get to town in time to heal them with his blood.

"That is a very good point, Cass," Caroline gave her an approving smile. She glanced from Elena to Bonnie to see if either had anything to say, but they remained silent. "Great. I'm gonna get a latte. You coming, Cass?"

"Yup," Cassandra nodded and grabbed her purse from the bed.

"See ya," Caroline called out as she and Cassandra walked out of the room.

-o-

Cassandra let out a bored sigh as she as she skimmed a rack of tops inside a clothing store near the campus. While she and Caroline had been drinking their lattes, Caroline had the crazy idea to throw a massive party. She went into full planning mode and took off to secure the location and take care of all the necessary preparations leaving Cassandra time to find the perfect outfit. She may not have been looking to impress anyone, but that didn't mean she couldn't still look as hot as possible. Whatever attention she received as a result would just serve as a meal anyway.

She pulled out a dark purple halter top to get a closer look at it when she felt a presence directly behind her. One quick whiff of the air told her all she needed to know.

"What do you want, Elijah?" She let out an annoyed sigh as she hung the top back up and slowly turned around to face him. "And how'd you find me?"

"I was waiting for you at your sister's school when the two of you arrived earlier this morning. I wanted to speak to you without her presence, so when you went your separate ways, I followed you." He spoke in a soft voice. "I know your sister forced you to abandon your emotions by threatening to hurt Hope."

"Ah, I'm guessing Elena filled you in on that once she was upright again. Well, good. Saves me the trouble. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to finding something to wear to the party my sister is throwing tonight," she started to turn back towards the clothes rack when Elijah reached for her arm and stopped her.

"Cassandra, please. I beg you to reconsider," Elijah pleaded. "You don't need to worry about Hope. She's safe. Caroline won't be able to get to her."

"Mmm, thanks, but I'll pass," she pulled her arm out of his grasp. "Why would I want to let all the pain and grief from losing my mom back in anyway? This is so much better."

"Your emotions are what make you who you are. I know it will be hard and excruciatingly painful, but I promise you I will be there to help you through it."

"Let me think about it," she paused and pretended to do so for a second before shaking her head. "Nope. Sorry. Not gonna happen. The girl you described, the one ruled by her emotions, she's gone. The sooner you and brother accept that, the better." She walked past him toward the door of the shop and stopped when she was a foot away to face him again. "Now, since I know you heard everything my sister said back at the dorms, you know our terms. If you or your brother make any more attempts to get me turn my humanity back on, I'll grab Hope and disappear with her. You'll never see her again. So _back off_."

Elijah made no attempt to stop her as she opened the door and walked outside. She didn't need to look at his face to know she'd hit the right nerve. She sincerely hoped they'd heed her warning and leave her be so she wouldn't have to follow through on her threat because she wasn't in the mood to take care of a baby. She wanted to be free to do whatever she desired. As long as they did as she asked, she would be.


	41. Actions Have Consequences

**Surprise! I'm back earlier than normal. What can I say, I got on a bit of a roll as far as writing goes and felt I could put this chapter out sooner rather than later. Some of you were hoping for more Klaus and Elijah and I am happy to say there will definitely be more of them and their reactions to Cassandra turning off her humanity in this chapter. And don't fret, I promise I'm not going to draw this whole arch out much longer. Anyway, thanks, as always, for taking the time to read my story and leave comments, questions, squeals and screams. I love it all. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 41 - Actions Have Consequences**

Lights flashed and techno music blared loudly through the speakers inside the massive warehouse where dozens of college-age students cheered as they danced around. Girls painted their faces and wore skimpy outfits while a lot of the guys were in tank tops or were completely topless. Everyone wore some kind of glow-in-the-dark jewelry and had consumed copious amounts of alcohol.

Cassandra wore a low cut, white V-neck tank top with dark-wash denim jeans and a pair of black boots with four-inch heels. It had taken her less than a minute to find a decent-looking guy to dance with when she'd arrived at the warehouse later that night with Caroline. They danced next to each other with their chosen partners, jumping to the music as they tilted their heads back and wrapped their arms around their guys' shoulders.

Stealing a sideways glance at her sister, Cassandra noticed something or someone had caught Caroline's eye. She followed Caroline's line of sight until she spotted Elena standing a few yards away, staring right at them. She looked back at Caroline and found her vamping out, about to sink her teeth into the neck of her dance partner, much to Elena's horror. Elena started to step towards them when Caroline made her face return to normal and smirked at Elena.

"I'm fine," she whispered before returning to dancing.

Cassandra couldn't help laughing at the dumbstruck expression on Elena's face. She watched as Elena slowly turned around and headed toward the bar, then shifted her gaze back to the guy who had his hands all over her. She let him have his fun, knowing she'd be ending it soon enough.

A little while later, she caught him staring at her chest. "Like what you see?" She wiggled her eyebrows slightly. He grinned and nodded his head enthusiastically. She licked her bottom lip and leaned in, whispering softly in his ear. "Me too."

She made her hybrid face appear and started to lower her mouth onto his neck, intending to bite him, when a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her away. "What the—" she spun around and came face to face with her sister. "What is it Caroline?"

"Stefan broke the rules," she scowled, placing her hands on her hips. "Wanna help me teach him a lesson?"

"Ooooh, a revenge plot. I'm in!" Cassandra rubbed her hands together eagerly and followed Caroline through the sea of people. "So what's the plan?"

"I'll tell you in a minute," Caroline shouted over the music. She led the way out into the hallway where the bathrooms were located. "Hey!" She called out to Liam after spotting him walking in front of them. She and Cassandra hurried to catch up to him. "Where have you been?"

"The bathroom line was like a mile long," Liam stopped and turned toward them. "Look at all these crazy people here. I was—"

"Wow, you are so boring," Caroline sighed. "No wonder Elena didn't pick you."

"Geeze, Care. Tell him how you really feel why don't you?" Cassandra chuckled softly.

Caroline ignored her and continued talking to Liam. "Honest truth? How good are you at surgery?"

"I'm a pre-med sophomore. I'm terrible," Liam answered with a 'duh' look on his face.

"Perfect," Caroline smiled. "Come with me."

She turned and started to walk toward the exit with Liam and Cassandra quickly following right behind her. Once they were outside, Caroline turned around and compelled Liam, giving him a list of instructions to follow, and sent him on his way. After he'd left, Cassandra followed Caroline over to her car and stood by the passenger side door while Caroline went and leaned against the hood, clearly waiting for someone. They didn't have to wait long. An old classic car pulled up and parked facing Caroline's car.

"There you are. Finally," Caroline called out as Enzo climbed out of the car and shut the door behind him. "Where's your date? What, you don't wanna show her off in front of Stefan?"

"Afraid she doesn't find me nearly as fascinating as I do," Enzo murmured in a deep voice, walking up to them.

"But you have an accent," Caroline stepped toward him. "Anything you say is automatically fascinating," she smiled at him.

"Afraid we found the exception. Told her I was a vampire and her eyes glazed over," Enzo did not hide the disappointment in his voice. "Literally. Pure and utter disinterest."

"Huh. That's definitely not a normal human response," Cassandra mused out loud.

Caroline thought about it for a second, then began to laugh when she realized what was going on.

"What's funny?" Enzo asked.

"Stefan's been looking out for Sarah since she was a baby, which means he will protect her at any cost," Caroline started to explain.

"Okay," Enzo nodded.

"So what do you do when you want someone to have nothing to do with vampires?" Caroline offered the question which made what she had figured out clearly evident to both Enzo and Cassandra.

"Compel them not to care about anything to do with vampires," Enzo grinned. "Caroline Forbes, you're a genius."

"Thank you," Caroline smiled back at him. "Now," she softened her voice and placed her hands onto his chest, then slowly moved them down toward his waist. "Why don't I show you some of my other talents? Hmm?"

Enzo took a step back and pushed her hands away. "Sorry, love. It's not as much fun when you're not really you."

He walked off toward the warehouse, leaving them standing by the car. Cassandra and Caroline turned to watch him for a moment before looking at each other. A smug grin appeared on Caroline's face as she held up Enzo's phone for Cassandra to see.

"Wow. That was smooth, Care," Cassandra nodded in approval. Caroline scrolled through Enzo's contacts until she found Sarah's number. "Sarah Salvatore," Cassandra read the name. "Wait? She's a Salvatore? How's that possible?"

"She's Zach Salvatore's daughter, making her Damon and Stefan's niece. Stefan kept her a secret all these years until recently," Caroline explained as she began composing a message to Sarah.

"So, you're going after her to punish Stefan," Cassandra realized Caroline's plan.

"Something like that," Cassandra nodded.

"How Klaus-like of you," Cassandra laughed. "Tell me more."

Caroline explained her big plan while she composed a message to Sarah. After hitting send, they climbed into her car. Caroline drove a few miles further into town and pulled into the parking lot of the bar they'd gone to the night before, Scull Bar, only this time there was no one there because it was long after closing time. Caroline easily forced the front door open and led the way inside to the bar.

The restaurant was quiet and eerie with the only light coming from the small overhead security light. Everything had been wiped down and restocked for the next day of business. Caroline wasted no time making herself comfortable by hopping up to sit on top of the bar. Cassandra started to open her mouth to say something when Caroline held up a finger, silencing her. Cassandra arched her eyebrows curiously and walked over to stand next to where Caroline was sitting, watching her as she called Stefan using Enzo's phone.

"What, you really think I want to hear from you right now?" Stefan answered with an annoyed voice.

"Aww, is someone having a bad night?" Caroline feigned sympathy.

"What are you doing with Enzo's phone?" Stefan asked, taken aback.

"I stole it. But that's not the question you should be asking right now," Caroline answered bluntly. "You should be asking, 'Why does Enzo have Sarah Salvatore's number in his phone?'. Or maybe, 'Where is Sarah Salvatore?'. And ultimately, 'What the hell are you going to do to her, Caroline?'"

The door to the restaurant opened, causing both Cassandra and Caroline to glance over their shoulders. A tall and tan brunette walked in. "Hello?" She called out. "Enzo?"

"Over here, love," Caroline turned her head sideways and spoke in a fake British accent. Cassandra stifled a laugh at the corniness.

"Oh, um, actually, I'm looking for—" Sarah Salvatore stammered in confusion.

"Enzo. Yeah, I heard you," Caroline cut her off. "He's not here right now. But I am."

"Caroline, what the hell are you doing with Sarah?" Stefan was growing more confused by the second.

"There. An appropriate question. Thank you for asking. As a matter of fact, I'm going to kill her," Caroline lowered her voice dramatically. She lowered the phone and end the call before Stefan could say anything else. She dropped the phone onto the bar top and exchanged a quick glance with Cassandra. They didn't need to turn around to look at Sarah to know she was starting to grow frightened. Her rapidly beating heart gave her away.

-o-

Caroline stood behind the bar, making a batch of margaritas in the blender while Cassandra sat sideways in one of the bar chairs and watched. The front door opened and Elena and Stefan came storming into the bar.

"Hey," Caroline stopped the blender and glanced over at them with a bright smile. "I'm making margaritas. You want one?" She popped off the lid and carried the blender over to the counter where she'd set out a few margarita glasses.

"Where's Sarah?" Elena asked, her eyes full of worry.

"Well, I see Stefan filled you in on his big secret," Caroline sighed, setting the blender down and picking up a glass.

"Where is she, Caroline?" Stefan demanded, stepping toward the bar.

"Not here," Caroline answered. She turned the glass upside down and coated the rim in salt. "That would be stupid. She's with Liam. Say hi," she nodded toward the counter where she had set Enzo's phone. It was in the middle of a phone call to Sarah's phone and on speaker for everyone in the room to hear.

"Hello?" Liam's panicked voice rang out.

"Sarah is helping Liam with his surgical skills," Caroline explained while she picked up another margarita glass and salted its rim, then repeated the process with a third glass. She had compelled him to operate on Sarah while she was awake knowing her petrified screams would have the desired effect on Stefan. And it worked like a charm. While Cassandra felt they could have saved loads of time by simply snapping Sarah's neck or ripping her heart out in front of Stefan, she had to admit her sister's dramatic approach was certainly fun. And she didn't have to risk ruining her outfit with bloodstains.

"Look at me, Caroline," Stefan pleaded with his eyes. "What do you want me to do? You want me to leave town? I'll leave town. I'll stay as far away from you as possible. Just please let her go."

Caroline filled the three margarita glasses with the blended drink and added a tiny umbrella to each glass before handing one to Cassandra. "That's the problem, Stefan," she looked at him. "It doesn't really matter how far away you are. You're still you. Kind and loyal. Who, with one look, can convince me that I'm not crazy. That's the Stefan that I fell for, and that's the Stefan who can bring me back."

Cassandra took a drink of the margarita and licked her lips. "Wait," she held up a hand and arched her eyebrows at her sister. "Old you fell for Stefan? You never told me that. Old me would have been incredibly happy about that and would have encouraged you to go for it."

Ignoring her, Stefan continued to reach out to Caroline. "Killing Sarah isn't going to change that."

"I know. That's why I'd rather just change you. Let go of that part of you, Stefan," Caroline softened her voice.

Elena narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Caroline, what are you talking about?"

"If Stefan wants to save Sarah's life," she picked up the remaining two margaritas and held them up. "All he has to do is shut his humanity off." Both Elena and Stefan stared at her in horror. "Why are you both looking at me like that? Do I need to repeat myself?"

"I'd do it if I were you, Stefan," Cassandra gave him fair warning. "I know every single detail of her plan, and unless you actually want your niece to die a slow and exceedingly painful death, well, you only have one option."

"He is not turning his humanity off!" Elena glared at them.

Caroline set the glasses back down and leaned forward over the bar, resting her elbows on the wooden surface. "Elena, Stefan unleashed himself from you months ago. He can think for himself now."

"It's not gonna happen, Caroline," Stefan told her in a calm voice.

Annoyed that getting her way was going to be more difficult than she'd hoped, she reached for Enzo's cell phone and held it up to her lips. "Hey, Liam?" The room was momentarily filled with Sarah's agonizing screams. "Cut out her spleen."

"Caroline!" Elena hissed.

"Relax," Caroline tried to reassure her. "She can live without a spleen you know. It's really the infection you should be worried about."

"Please don't hurt me," Sarah's pleading voice could be heard before it was replaced with more screams.

"Hey, Liam," Stefan spoke quickly. "Remember that conversation we had earlier about being honest? Where are you?"

"Don't answer him, Liam," Caroline ordered.

"Whitmore Medical," Liam answered.

"Hey!" Caroline scowled.

"Go!" Stefan turned to Elena. "Get Sarah out of there."

Elena whooshed out of the bar before their eyes.

"Well, good luck getting there in time," Caroline called out after her.

Cassandra raised her glass to take another drink and glanced at the front door. She blinked as a shadow appeared on the other side of the small window, indicating someone was standing right outside. The door opened and Elijah slowly walked in. Cassandra swallowed a few large gulps of her drink before setting it down on the bar.

"Excuse me," she let out a sigh and hopped off the bar stool onto her feet. "I need to go deal with an Original Vampire." She walked past Stefan and over to where Elijah stood just inside the closed door. "What, are you my shadow now?"

"Something like that," he answered in a soft voice. "Hope is safe in a place where you can't get to her, leaving me free to keep an eye on you."

"A place where…oh," Cassandra quickly realized. "Tyler's house. Smart. Well, good for you. So, you're just going to follow me around now? And if I try to feed on anyone, or kill someone, you'll just stop me?"

"I know you don't think so right now, but anything you do whilst in this state you will regret once you've let your emotions back in," he answered honestly. "I'm only trying to spare you from the immense guilt that you will undoubtly endure as a result of whatever acts you commit while in your emotionless state."

Cassandra gave him a soft smile and cautiously stepped closer to him. "Sweet, noble Elijah," she murmured, bringing her hands up to gently caress the sides of his neck. "Always looking out for me and watching over me. Always protecting me. My knight in shining armor." With a flick of her wrists, she snapped his neck and sent him crumbling to the ground in heap. "Well, it's time for that to stop." She spoke in a matter-of-fact voice as she looked down at his limp body. She turned around and found Caroline leaning over Stefan, who was flat on his stomach and moaning in pain, while she spoke into Enzo's phone. There'd been a struggle, and clearly Caroline had come out victorious.

"Liam, you still with me?" Caroline asked. The sound of muffled screams confirmed the connection hadn't been broken. Pleased, Caroline slowly stood to her feet. She kept a foot on top of Stefan so he couldn't move. Cassandra walked around them to the bar where her drink was and picked it back up. "Wow," Caroline glanced from her over to where Elijah's body was. "You took down an Original. Nice job, Cass!"

Cassandra took a sip of her drink and shrugged it off as no big deal. "It was easy. He's in love with me. He never saw it coming. Doubt I'll ever be able to get the jump on him again though. He'll be completely on his guard once he wakes up. And you…you took down Stefan. Considering the years he's got on you, that's pretty impressive too."

"Yeah, no sweat," Caroline flashed her a grin. She turned back to Stefan as Sarah's screams intensified on the other end of the phone call. "You don't realize it, but this really does hurt me to watch." Stefan groaned in response. Caroline stared at him and scoffed softly. "I'm pathetic." Then the screaming stopped. Caroline raised the phone to speak into it again. "Liam, she stopped screaming. Is she—"

"I think she passed out," Liam answered in a shaky voice.

"Kill her. Call me when it's done," she ended the call and shoved the phone into her back pocket.

Another cell phone started to ring. Cassandra realized at the same time as Caroline that the ringing was coming from Stefan's back pocket. Caroline leaned down and pulled out his phone.

"Elena?" Cassandra eyed her sister.

"Yep," Caroline nodded, removing a wooden chair leg that had been shoved in Stefan's leg as she stood back up and answered the phone on speaker. "Stefan's phone," she spoke in a cheerful voice.

Cassandra let out a bored sigh and sipped her drink while she listened to Elena's panicked voice plead for Sarah's location at the hospital. Caroline continued to taunt her, commenting on how a person could only live a couple of seconds without their heart. Her back was to Stefan, who slowly rose to his feet.

"She's gonna let her die, Elena," he spoke in a loud, deep voice so she could hear him.

"I can't find them anywhere! We're running out of time," Elena yelled back.

Caroline turned around to face Stefan. He let out a sigh of defeat and he met her eyes. "Bring me back," he told Elena.

"What? Stefan? What do you mean?" Elena didn't understand. "Bring you back from where?"

"Just remember to bring me back," he told her again.

Cassandra's eyes widened as she realized what he meant. She eyed Caroline who was grinning at him triumphantly. She turned back to Stefan, watching him ignore Elena's protests and close his eyes. When he opened them a moment later, the warmth and light they'd once held was gone. Caroline had succeeded in getting him to turn off his humanity. With a smug grin, Caroline ended the phone call and hopped up onto the bar top next to where Cassandra was standing. Stefan casually made his way to the area behind the bar and grabbed an empty margarita glass. He set it down and started to reach for the blender when his phone began to ring again. Caroline glanced at the screen before passing the phone to Stefan. He tapped the answer button and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" He answered casually as he picked up the blender with the margarita mix Caroline had made and began to pour some into his glass.

"Stefan, hey," Elena's relieved voice responded. "Thank God I found her. She's gonna be okay."

"Oh, really?" Stefan raised his eyebrows slightly. His voice suggested his disinterest in the situation.

"Stefan, are you okay?" Elena noticed the change in his voice.

"Well, I will be in one second," he set the blender down and picked up his glass by the stem. He raised it to his lips and took a sip. "Mm. I really needed that."

"Please don't tell me that you shut it off," Elena whispered, her worst fear realized. When Stefan remained silent, she spoke louder. "Stefan, don't you dare tell me that you shut it off!"

Stefan titled his head slightly to the right. "Okay," he nodded. "I won't." He handed the phone to Caroline who had decided to lay down on top of the bar.

"He shut it off," Caroline spoke softly into the phone. She pulled the phone away from her ear and ended the call before Elena could say anything else.

"Well, that went well," Cassandra mused as she brought her glass up to her lips. She was swallowing her sip when a cell phone started to ring. They all glanced at Stefan's phone, which Caroline had set down beside her legs, but the screen was dark. "Whose phone is ringing?"

"I think it's Elijah's," Caroline nodded at the Original Vampire's limp body on the floor across the room.

"Huh. I wonder who it could be?" Cassandra asked in a sarcastic voice knowing they all knew who was calling. An idea quickly formed in her head. Flashing a devious smirk at her sister and Stefan, she made her way over to Elijah and knelt down beside him. She slipped a hand inside his suit jacket and pulled out his phone from the inner pocket. _Missed Call – Niklaus_ flashed on the screen. She stood back up and tapped the screen a few times until a video call to Klaus began. She held the phone out until her face could be seen in the tiny camera square indicating what the other person was seeing and waited.

"Elijah?" She heard Klaus's voice before she could see his face. "What's going—" His voice stopped abruptly when he realized he was seeing Cassandra instead of his brother. "Cassandra?"

"Hello, _Nik,_ " the nickname she never used slowly rolled off her tongue.

He frowned, clearly put-off that she'd called him that. "Where's Elijah?" He demanded in a low voice.

"Oh, relax. He's right here," She aimed the phone so that Klaus could see Elijah's body on the floor. "Taking a little nap." She paused a beat and refocused the camera back onto her face. "You know what? Since I've got you on the phone, there _is_ someone else here you should say hello to." She kept the phone's camera locked onto her face as she made her way around the bar to where Stefan stood and swung her right arm around his shoulders while she held the phone in her left hand. "An old friend of yours. You like to call him Rippah," she mimicked his British accent when she said the name and adjusted the camera so that Stefan's face came into view. Stefan raised his margarita glass to Klaus with a sly smile.

"Really? Well, this is an unexpected turn of events," Klaus blinked in surprise. "Normally, I'd be delighted upon learning of my old friend's return, but I'm afraid there are more pressing matters at the forefront of my mind, namely you, love."

"Oh. Well, that's too bad. Personally, I'm kind of excited that Ripper Stefan is back." She cast a sideways glance at him. "Now, he knows how to let loose and have a good time. Or so I've heard."

"That I do," he nodded and smiled back at her.

She dropped her arm from around his shoulders and moved so she was standing beside him. When she looked back at the phone screen, Klaus was eyeing her with an unamused scowl on his face. "You should know," he spoke in a low voice. "I've got a plane waiting. I'll be in Mystic Falls in a few hours. When I get there, you and I are going to have a chat."

Cassandra let out a bored sigh. "Alright. I'm going to assume that Elijah told you about my little warning to him if he tried to get me to turn my humanity back on. Same rules apply to you. Make any attempts to get me to turn on my emotions and I will take our daughter and disappear with her. Maybe I'll even find a way to reach out to your Aunt Dahlia and hand Hope over to her."

"Sorry, sweetheart, but, I'm afraid I'm going to have to call your bluff," he smirked and raised his eyebrows slightly. "You were right to assume Elijah's told me everything, including securing our daughter at the Lockwood residence where you, my dear, have not been invited in."

She let out a low hiss. She'd been hoping Elijah hadn't yet told him that part. In any case, it didn't really matter. She planned to be far, far away by the time he arrived into town anyway.

"Fine, so you know. Big deal. I have contingency plans. I did learn from the best, after all," she smiled smugly at him. In truth, it was another bluff, but this time he seemed to accept it. "Well, it's been fun chatting, _Nik_ ," she watched in satisfaction as he again made a face when she used the nickname. "But now all this talking has made me hungry. Guess I'll see you when you get here. Or maybe I won't." she shrugged. Before he could say anything she abruptly ended the call. She reached across the counter for her margarita glass and picked it up, bringing it to her lips and downing the rest of its contents in a couple of seconds.

"So," she set the empty glass back down and sauntered around the counter to the outside of the bar area before glancing back at Stefan and Caroline. "I'm hungry. Either of you want to grab a bite to eat with me?"

"Oh, the fridge in my dorm room is fully stocked with fresh blood bags. Help me clean up here, and then we can head over there," Caroline suggested.

Cassandra wrinkled her nose. "Nah. I want something...warmer. And, no offense sis, but I'm tired and bored playing by your rules." She made her way over to Elijah's body and came to a stop before looking back at Stefan. "What about you, Stefan?"

"You know what?" He quickly finished the rest of his drink and set the glass down before walking around the bar to join her. "I'd love to. I'm in."

"Excellent," she grinned at him. "One last thing," she turned toward Elijah's body and knelt down beside him. As she was slipping his phone back into his inside jacket pocket, her eyes landed on his throat. Making a split-second decision, she bared her fangs and bit his neck. After a few seconds she pulled away and licked her bloody lips clean. "There," she stood to her feet and faced Stefan. "That will slow him down for a little while."

Stefan nodded in approval. "Or until Klaus gets here and can heal him. Anyway, shall we?"

"Lead the way," she nodded.

The late-night air was cool and crisp. Because of the late hour, there wasn't a lot of foot traffic out on the sidewalk, but that didn't bother Cassandra or Stefan. They walked at a leisurely pace which gave her time to pick his brain about some of his fondest 'Ripper' memories. When they came to a stop at a corner a little while later, they both noticed a figure on the opposite side of the street.

"Looks like we finally found a meal," Stefan mused and licked his lips.

"Yeah, I'd say so," Cassandra nodded in agreement.

They stepped back and waited after the signal to cross was given, watching as the figure began to cross the street and grow closer to them. Eventually they were able to distinguish that the figure was a woman. When she stepped onto their side of the street, they took note of her slinky, low cut outfit and high-heeled boots.

They fell into step a few feet behind her and whispered softly to each other about how to catch their prey. A few moments passed before the woman turned her head to the side like she was listening to their chatter and wrapped her arms around her body. They both could see an alley coming up ahead and nodded in agreement that that was the end of the road for this woman.

When they reached the alley, they fell silent. The woman cautiously turned head to casually glance over her shoulder. She blinked in surprise at the absence of anyone behind her and shrugged it off as she faced forward again.

"Oh!" She yelped in surprise when she found Cassandra and Stefan standing in front of her.

"Ssshh," Cassandra brought a finger to her lips and stepped toward the woman. She looked into her eyes, compelling her. "Don't scream. In fact, don't say anything at all."

Satisfied that the woman wasn't going to attract any unwanted attention, Cassandra grabbed her by the arms and whooshed into the alley. She revealed her amber-eyed, hybrid face and held the woman by the shoulders as she bit into the woman's neck and began to feed. A few seconds later, Stefan appeared on the other side of them and slowly leaned his head down, biting into the other side of the woman's neck. As they fed, they could hear the woman's heartbeat beginning to slow until it stopped completely.

Cassandra lifted her head first and gasped for breath. Dark red blood dripped down the sides of her mouth and chin. Stefan lifted his head a moment later, his mouth just as bloody as hers, and stared at her as they let the woman's limp body fall down to the ground. Completely caught up in the bloodlust-fueled rush, he reached out and cupped the side of her face before lunging at her and slamming his lips against hers. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck as she kissed him back. He ran his hands down her torso to her hips and pushed her back against the brick wall. She ran the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip and could still taste blood from the woman they'd fed on.

"Mmm," she hummed against his lips.

He pulled away after a few long moments and began leaving a trail of kisses along her jaw until he reached her neck. She tilted her head slightly to give him better access and let out a breathy gasp when he started to nip and suck her skin, which only encouraged him more. His hands moved farther down onto her butt where he gave her a gentle squeeze and pushed her hips back against his.

"Stefan," she brought her lips to his ear, letting her warm breath tickle his skin as she spoke in a husky whisper. "Should we move this somewhere a little more private?" She gently brushed her lips against the bottom of his ear, provoking a soft hum from him in response.

"Yeah," he murmured against her skin. "We probably should." He lifted his head and took her by the hand before vamp-speeding down the street to a motel a few blocks away.

-o-

Faint rays of sunlight poked through the sides of the drawn fabric curtains, casting a bright, white line on the adjacent walls of the otherwise dim motel room. Cassandra sat on the edge of the full-size bed with her back to Stefan, clasping her bra into place from behind. Once it was secured, she glanced over her shoulder at him. He was laying with his arms propped behind his head, the bedsheet covering the lower half of his body.

"You're leaving?" He murmured softly, casting a curious glance at her.

She stood up and scanned the floor, where they'd thrown their clothes when they'd ripped them off each other a few hours earlier, for her underwear and stepped forward once she'd spotted them, scooping them up and slipping them back on before turning around to face Stefan.

"Yeah. I think it's best I get the hell outta dodge before Klaus and Elijah find me and lock me up until I turn flip my humanity switch again."

"Ah. I'd say that's a pretty damn good reason to hit the road," he nodded and slowly sat up.

"What about you, Stefan?" Cassandra asked as she reached down for her tank top and slipped it over her head.

"Well, someone has to get your sister to let go and fully embrace her humanity-free vampire nature," he smirked. "So, my plan for the day is to do whatever it takes make that happen."

"Oooh, sounds like fun. Wish I could help you with that, but that would involve my sticking around, and that's not going to happen as long as Klaus and Elijah are in town."

"Where will you go, if you don't mind me asking?" He watched her as she stepped into her jeans and pulled them up and over her hips.

"Mmmm, I could tell you," she fastened the button and pulled up the zipper before meeting his eyes. "But on the off chance that they compel you..."

"I can't tell them what I don't know," Stefan realized.

"But," she climbed onto the bed and crawled over to him, bringing her lips down to his ear. "If you decide you're ready to leave the small-town life behind and want to join me, call me and I'll let you know where to find me." She leaned away and scooted backwards until she was back on her feet.

"I'll do that," he gave her a nod.

She quickly put on her boots and jacket before running her fingers through her hair to smooth it out so it didn't look like crazy, post-sex hair. Once she was satisfied with it, she double checked that her phone was still in her pocket and made a mental note to get charger for it at some point as she walked to the door. She reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it.

As she opened the door, she glanced back at Stefan one last time. "See ya around, Mr. Salvatore," she flashed him a grin. "And thanks for the wild night."

"You're welcome," he smiled and nodded at her. He blinked, and she was gone.

-o-

8 Hours Later

BEEP!

A car honked its horn as Cassandra emerged from the dimly lit tunnel and sped past it on the black Harley Davidson motorcycle she'd snatched up just outside the City of Brotherly Love, or Philadelphia as it was more commonly known. The bike allowed her to leave the bumper to bumper traffic behind and ride between the cars. The bright, afternoon sun peaked through the gray clouds in the sky, though it wasn't enough to warm the icy chill in the air. Her eyes glossed over the massively tall skyscrapers, taking in their splendor for a brief moment before moving on. It had been five years since she'd been in the super-sized city with a population in the millions. She could feel her mouth beginning to salivate at the thought of the all-you-can-eat buffet that awaited her.

She made a right turn on W 42nd Street, then hung a left on 8th Avenue. She could hardly wait to explore and shop, but first she wanted to find a place to stay. After giving it a little thought, she decided on a decently priced hotel room. While a rooftop penthouse would have been fun, she figured she was better off keeping a low profile for a while. It didn't mean she couldn't indulge in other ways though.

 _"Saks Fifth Avenue here I come!_ she grinned to herself.


	42. Finding My Way Back

**Hey guys! I am so sorry for taking so long to update this story. July was an insanely busy month. Things are finally calming down now, though, so updates should be happening at regular intervals. Okay, series finale. All I'm gonna say is this—I have plans. Mega, huge plans. So, yeah, chew on that. Now, I have to say I was pretty surprised more of you weren't mad at me for the unexpected hookup between Cassandra and Stefan. Or maybe you guys were but remained tight-lipped. Anyway, I know it was incredibly mean of me, but, when the idea came to me, I couldn't not do it. Anyway, I think the title of this chapter should give you guys a good clue at what's coming. (Yay, right?). I had so much stinking fun with this chapter. Brownie points to anyone who was able to correctly deduce Cassandra's final destination after the end of the right chapter. I didn't want to just outright say where she was going. I spent hours spanned over weeks surfing the streets of New York via google street view to figure out all of the logistics and get the feel of the city right. I am incredibly pleased with the result. If you thought emotionless Cassandra was ruthless before, well, hold on to your hats 'cause you ain't seen nothin' yet. I hope you all enjoy this lengthy, action-packed, emotionally-charged chapter. Thanks again for taking the time to read!**

* * *

 **Chapter 42 - Finding My Way Back**

BEEP!

A car blasted its horn as it inched along the congested Upper West Side street in downtown New York City. Gripping a warm and frothy cappuccino in her ivory, cashmere-lined leather gloves, Cassandra shifted her eyes toward the source of the car honk, chuckling softly under her breath at the dumb souls who'd decided to brave the bumper to bumper traffic and drive that morning. It was a chilly, forty-eight degrees, the perfect weather for warm coats, scarves, and boots, all of which Cassandra was wearing. She smiled at the distinct click-tap sound her four-and-a-half-inch stiletto heeled, black suede Louis Vuitton boots made on the pavement while she walked, sipping her coffee as people passed by her on either side as she walked. The foot traffic didn't bother her. She was enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the city all while scoping out where to have her next meal.

She began to make her way around the corner of West 69th Street onto Central Park West when a businessman with his phone pressed against his ear came barreling past her. Their shoulders collided which knocked Cassandra's cappuccino out of her hand and onto the ground, creating a huge mess. The man side-stepped to avoid the coffee puddle and continued on his way, snapping at whoever he was talking to on the phone without so much as an apology. Cassandra looked down at her ruined drink and pressed her lips together in a tight line, glaring at the back of the man's head.

She whooshed towards him, grabbed him by the throat, and sped back down the street in the direction she'd been headed when they collided. She darted down the next street, West 70th, and came to a stop inside a small, gated alley. With her hand still tightly gripping his throat, she pressed him up against the concrete wall.

"You bump into me and knock my cappuccino out of my hand without so much as an apology?" She tilted her head slightly as she spoke in a low, calm voice. "Tisk, tisk. That was a big mistake on your part I'm afraid." She could hear a faint voice calling out and zeroed in on the phone the man was still holding up to his ear while his free hand gripped her arm. She reached out with her other arm and plucked the phone out of his hand. She wiggled her eyebrows once as she brought the phone up to her ear. "I'm sorry, but," she paused and held the phone against her chest and eyed her prisoner. "Hey, what's your name?"

"St-Stan," the man croaked and gasped for breath.

"Thank you," she gave him a nod and brought the phone back up to her ear. "Stan is currently unable to come to the phone right now. He's been momentarily detained. I'll tell him to return your call at his earliest convenience. Goodbye."

She ended the call, dropped the phone onto the ground, and stopped on it with the stiletto heel of her boot, crushing it to pieces. Turning her focus back to the man in front of her, she stared at him blankly for half a second before bringing out her hybrid face. With a loud hiss, she lunged at him and bit into his neck, chomping down on his flesh as she drank aggressively. When she was done, she pulled her head back with a loud, satisfied sigh and his lifeless body fall to the ground.

"Mmmm," she pulled off her gloves and wiped the remnants of his blood from her lips, then licked her fingers until they were clean. "Delicious. Now then," she tilted her head slightly to the side and looked down at the dead body she now had to deal with. "What am I gonna do with you?" She glanced around until her eyes landed on a black dumpster at the other end of the alley. "Perfect," she grinned and grabbed Stan's leg. She whooshed over to the dumpster, lifted the lid, and tossed his body inside all in the blink of an eye. She covered him with a few trash bags for good measure and let the lid close with a soft thud. After brushing off her hands and double checking that she was blood free, she put her gloves back on and continued down the street towards Central Park West.

* * *

"Keep trying, Rebekah. Right now, you're the only chance we have to find Cassandra," Elijah spoke his sister on the phone. Now that she was a witch she had the means to cast a locator spell. Only, she was still having trouble controlling her new powers.

"I will. I'll call you once it's done and I've found her," Rebekah told him with as much conviction as possible.

"I still don't see why we can't ask Bonnie to do it. It would be child's play for her," Klaus sighed as Elijah ended his call with Rebekah and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He gazed down at Hope, bouncing her lightly in his arms while he stood on the back porch at the Lockwood Mansion with Elijah and Tyler.

"Sorry, Bonnie's a no go," Damon, who was also there, folded his arms across his chest. "She's only been back a week and is still adjusting after everything she went through in the Prision World. The last thing she needs to be doing right now is magic. Trust me on that."

"So…what? We're supposed to sit back and do nothing whilst we wait for Rebekah to master her new powers and do a locator spell?" Klaus hissed sharply. "The longer Cassandra is out there without her emotions, the more time she's allowed to do whatever she pleases, the worse her guilt will be when she lets it all back in."

"I know," Elijah whispered.

"Then why are we standing around waiting? We should be out there, searching for her!"

"And where would we start? She could be anywhere in the world, Niklaus."

"I think I can help with that," Stefan appeared from around the side of the mansion and began walking towards them. Thanks in large part to Damon and their long-lost mother, Lily, a vampire who'd been stuck in a prison world of her own until Bonnie and Damon had rescued her, Stefan had his humanity back.

"Nice of you to finally join the party, brother," Damon gave him a nod.

Klaus eyed Stefan skeptically. "What is it exactly that you believe you can do?"

"I can find out where Cassandra is," Stefan answered.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Klaus arched his eyebrows.

Stefan slipped his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath. He knew what he was about to say could result in his neck being snapped, but he had to tell them what happened. "We, uh, we were together the night before she left town."

"What?" Klaus's eyes widened. He walked over to the Pack 'N Play that had been brought outside for Hope and carefully set her down inside before facing Stefan. "What do you mean you were together?"

"I mean exactly what you're hoping I don't mean," Stefan answered in a low voice. "We fed and things got…heated. We…we were both caught up in the moment and—"

Klaus whooshed over to him and grabbed him by the throat, cutting his words off. "You slept with her?!" He growled.

"L-look…I…I'm not...proud of it…okay?" Stefan gasped for breath. "But because…it happened…I know how to…find her."

"And how, pray tell, do you plan to do that?" Elijah asked in a calm voice, though the anger he felt towards Stefan was evident in his eyes. "Niklaus, let him speak." With a groan and a displeased expression on his face, Klaus let go of Stefan's throat and folded his arms.

Stefan rubbed his neck for a moment and cleared his throat before taking a deep breath. "Before she left the next morning, just after dawn, she told me if I grew tired of the small-town life and wanted to join her I should give her a call and she'll tell me where to meet up with her."

"Well, then, what are you waiting for? A bloody invitation? Call her, Stefan!" Klaus shouted at him.

Stefan nodded and pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket. He skimmed his contacts for her number and tapped her name one he'd found it before holding it up to his ear. Klaus, Elijah, and Damon all listened in closely with their vampire hearing while remaining silent in the background.

"Hello, Stefan," Cassandra answered after two rings. "It's been a week, right? Don't tell me you're bored in that small town of ours already."

"Well, it only took me two days to get your sister to give into her full vampire nature and let go completely. After that, yeah, you could say things took a turn for the dull and uninteresting. How have you been?" He did his best to sound like his former 'Ripper' self.

"Oh, I'm great! It's amazing what one can accomplish without emotional restraints," she chuckled.

"Exactly," Stefan laughed with her. "So, I believe you told me to give you a call when I was ready to join you."

"And are you?"

"Absolutely. I wouldn't be calling if I wasn't."

"Fantastic. Ever heard of Bethesda Fountain?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes, actually, I have," Stefan nodded his head

"Good. Meet me there tomorrow. 11 o'clock. I'll be waiting under the Terrace," She told him.

Stefan briefly looked from Klaus to Elijah to Damon as he answered. "I'll be there."

"Well, then, I'll see you tomorrow, Stefan." she ended the call with a soft click.

"So, she went to the Big Apple," Damon couldn't help smiling at the thought. "Perfect place for a humanity-less vampire to go. I did the same thing a few decades ago."

"Yes, with a multi-million population in the city alone, it's a vampire all-you-can-eat-buffet," Elijah muttered flatly.

"All the more reason we must leave at once. There's no telling how many bodies she's left behind in the week she's been there," Klaus spoke in a low voice. Everyone nodded in agreement. Klaus reluctantly left Hope with Tyler to watch over her while they were away. With one last lingering look at his daughter, he followed the others around to the front of the house to pile into the SUV he'd procured when he'd landed in Richmond and begin the drive north to New York.

* * *

Cassandra stood on the upper level of the Bethesda Terrace admiring the view of the majestic fountain below. She imagined the fountain in full working order, its base full of water that would cascade down the center piece in which a giant sculpture of an angel had been placed, instead of its current bone-dry state, knowing her old self would have been in complete awe over the sight. The sky was gray and overcast, not ideal for an outing in Central Park, and it showed in the small number of people milling about that morning.

After pulling her phone out of her coat pocket to check the time, which happened to be a minute til eleven 'o-clock, she slid it back in and leaned against the sandstone railing. She glossed over the different people that were there, trying to decide on who she wanted for her next meal. Tourists were the easiest prey, but a jogger or runner she could follow deeper into the park. Before she could make up her mind, her ears picked up on the sound of approaching footsteps along with a very familiar scent.

"Stefan," she smiled, turning to the figure clad in dark jeans, a dark grey shirt, black boots, and a black jacket that came to a stop beside her. "It's nice to see you again."

"Hey, Cassandra," Stefan flashed her a grin. "You too. I'm glad I decided to give you a call."

"So am I."

"So," He slid his hands into his jacket pockets. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," Cassandra chuckled. She motioned for him to walk with her and led the way down the grand staircase to the fountain. "Little bit of sightseeing. Lots of shopping. I saw a couple of shows on Broadway and partied with the casts backstage."

"My best friend Lexi loved to do that at concerts," he chuckled at the memories.

"Well, we'll have to go find a show to see together and party it up with the cast afterwards," Cassandra suggested as they turned to walk through the lower part of the terrace. "No killing any of the cast members though. Way too high profile."

Stefan nodded in agreement and flashed her another grin. "It's a date."

"Excellent," Cassandra grinned back. She glanced up at the ceiling as they made their way through the passage below the Upper Terrace. There were small lamps illuminating the individual ceramic encaustic tiles making up the long ceiling. She'd overheard someone say they'd been restored five years earlier which explained their pristine appearance. The walls of the passage also had encaustic tiles which were framed by extravagant sandstone arches. Wanting to get a closer look, Cassandra made her way over to the wall and came to a stop a foot away from it. Her eyes glossed over the intrigue details and colors.

"Huh. Pretty nice, but it's got nothing on Chicago in the Twenties," Stefan eyed the tiles.

"Figures you'd say that," Cassandra rolled her eyes. "So," she turned toward him once she'd seen enough of the walls. "Now that you're here, what would you like to do first?"

"You know, I was thinking maybe we could just—" he paused and grabbed her by the waist, whooshing both their bodies back into a shadowed corner of the dimly lit passage and pressing her body back against the wall. "—pick up where we left off in Mystic Falls."

"Is that so? Well, I —" her words were cut short when he closed the gap between their faces, slamming his lips against hers. She kissed him back, slowly running her hands up his arms to his shoulders and held onto him. He stepped closer to her and pressed his body against hers while his hands roamed up and down her sides. She parted her lips, allowing his warm breath into her mouth. He brought a hand up and moved her hair over to one side, exposing a patch of her throat and neck, and moved his lips along her jaw to her neck. He nipped at her skin a few times before returning to her mouth again.

Cassandra started to mumble against his lips about heading over to her place when she stopped abrubtly. She'd picked up on Stefan's heartbeat and noticed it wasn't just thumping erratically from their sizzling make out session. It was downright racing! _What's got you so nervous, Stefan?_ She pondered to herself while they continued to kiss. She was tempted to call him out on it, but then she felt him begin to raise his left arm.

Her right hand shot up out of nowhere with a burst of hybrid speed and grabbed his wrist while it was in mid air, stopping his movement. She pulled away from him and turned her head toward his hand to find him holding a large, metal syringe with the needle a mere few inches away from her skin.

"Tisk, tisk," she clicked her tongue and shook her head at Stefan, twisting his wrist back until he had no choice but to let go of the syringe. It clattered onto the ground with a soft click. "And here I was looking forward to having fun with you in the city. When did you turn it back on?

"A few days ago," he let out a low his. His eyes flickered down to the ground where the syringe was. Cassandra followed his gaze and let out a soft laugh.

"Weighing your chances?" She eyed him with raised eyebrows. "You may have a century and a half on me, but," Her eyes turned amber-yellow and black veins appeared under them while she bared her fangs "I'm a hybrid, which means I'm stronger than your average newbie vampire." She spun him around and slammed him face first against the wall. "I don't know how much clearer I can make myself," she channeled her ability to turn at will and made the nails on the hand that gripped Stefan's arm change into claws before digging them into his arm. He winced and let out a muffled groan. "Maybe a slow, agonizing death by hybrid bite will get my point across."

"Cassandra, I-I'm sorry for lying to you like that," Stefan murmured apologetically. "Please, let's just go sit down somewhere and t—"

"Nah. Not really in the mood to talk," Cassandra shook her head. She lunged forward, intending to bite him in the neck, when an incredible force pulled her back by her arms and spun her around.

"Hello, love," Klaus murmured as he gripped her wrists and pinned her arms behind her back.

"Klaus. What an unpleasant surprise," Cassandra rolled her eyes at him. She tried to pull her arms away from him when Elijah appeared out of nowhere and grabbed a hold of her upper arms to assist Klaus. "And Elijah. Great, now it's really a party," she scoffed.

"I hate that it's come to this, but you've left us no choice," Klaus explained in a calm voice.

"We'll see about that," she smirked. Her hybrid face appeared again as she began focus and channel every ounce of strength she possessed and let out a low, feral growl.

"Woah. Easy there, Cassandra," Damon walked out of shadows and came to a stop beside Elijah. He picked the syringe up off the ground and stepped in front of Cassandra, jabbing her in the neck with the needle.

"No!" She growled. Within seconds everything around her blurred before swallowing her up in complete darkness.

Cassandra slowly blinked her eyes open and found she was laying on a bed. She groaned and pushed herself up to a sitting position to look around. The room she was in was larger than the average bedroom. The walls were made up completely of bricks which were illuminated by small lamps strategically placed. There were no windows anywhere, and the sole entry point to the room was an iron door with a long, vertical handle. Odds were that it locked from the outside, which meant she was trapped for the foreseeable future. There was something familiar about the room, like she'd been there before. _So, they vervained me and locked me up in a brick room with no windows,_ she thought to herself, letting out a breath of air. _Fan-freaking tastic._

She raised her arm, intending to run a hand through her hair to smooth it out when a tear in her sweater sleeve caught her eyes. She gave herself a quick once-over and found her boots had been removed from her feet so they could not be used as a weapon, and there were tears in her jeans along the tops of her thighs. Then she noticed the dried blood stains on the fabric. _They must have bled me while I was out to weaken me. No wonder I feel like crap._ She let out a sigh and focused on what she could hear, stretching her ability until she picked up on the voices she was searching for.

"Easy. Why not just compel her to turn it back on?" Damon suggested.

"He makes a fair point, Elijah," Klaus agreed.

"I strongly disagree," Elijah argued back. "If we force her to allow her emotions back in against her desire to do and by the method she would detest the most, she will never forgive us. She must make the choice to feel out of her own volition."

 _Yeah, never gonna happen_ , she shook her head with a faint scoff.

"Fine," Klaus didn't push the issue. "Well, while you lot try to come up with a plan, I'm going to go pay her a visit. I heard the bed springs creak, so she must be awake now."

"Oh joy," Cassandra grumbled out loud. _At least they won't compel me._ She started to swing her legs over the side of the bed when she heard a loud click. She looked at the iron door, watching it as it opened and Klaus walked into the room. He shut the door behind him with another loud click and walked toward her. As he neared, she noticed he held a bottle of water in one hand.

"I thought you might be thirsty," he murmured lightly, handing the bottle to her once he reached the bed.

"How thoughtful of you," she replied with a hint of sarcasm and took it from him. She twisted the lid off and brought the lid up to her lips, taking a long drink. Once she'd had enough, she replaced the cap and tossed the bottle onto the bed. "So, where are we exactly?"

An amused smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "You mean you don't recognize the room? It hasn't been _that_ long since we were last here. Then again, there would have been quite a few works of art stored in here back then. It may look quite different now without them."

"Wait a minute. This is a room in your old mansion? We're in Mystic Falls?"

"Well, we couldn't very well lock you up in the Salvatore's cellar, not with their mother currently taking up residence in their home, so this was the next best place to put you."

"If you're looking for a 'thank you', you're wasting your breath," she folded her arms across her chest.

"I wasn't," Klaus answered.

She nodded and slowly pushed herself up onto her feet. "So," she slowly took a couple of steps forward. "What's the big plan? You gonna torture me into flipping my humanity switch back on?"

"I haven't decided yet, actually."

"Go ahead and give it your best shot if you must," she told him and began to shuffle around to the opposite side of the bed to put some distance between them. "Just know that it's not going to work. You and your brother won't be able to stomach my screaming for long." The tight-lipped expression on his face told her she was right. She grinned victoriously. "I rest my case."

"You may be right, but that only means we'll have to find someone who _can_ stomach it. Maybe I'll call up my big brother Finn. He's bound to have procured a new body by now and I guarantee he'd be more than up to the task," Klaus raised his eyebrows.

Cassandra shook her head, not believing him for a second. "Nope. Good try though."

"You think I'm bluffing?"

"I don't think, I _know._ You'd never risk allowing him to be so close to our daughter. Speaking of, how is she? I'd like to see her."

"Really?" Klaus smiled in amusement. "Turn your emotions back on and I'll gladly bring her to you."

"Mmm, I'll pass. I don't want to see her _that_ badly," Cassandra turned him down.

"She misses you, you know," Klaus softened his voice.

She eyed him with a blank stare. "And? What...is that supposed to tug at my heartstrings or something? Because I feel nothing, remember?"

Klaus let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine." He picked up the water bottle from the bed and started to walk towards the door.

"Hey," Cassandra frowned and folded her arms as he turned back to her. "I wasn't finished with that yet."

"Oh, this?" Klaus wiggled the bottle of water in the air. "You'll get more when you've earned it."

She narrowed her eyes, watching as he pulled the door open and walked out of the room, letting it shut with loud click. She rolled her eyes and began to wander around the room, running her fingers along the wall to see if there were, by chance, any loose bricks. As she poked and prodded, she listened intently to the conversations going on between the others.

"Well, I hope you lot have fared better than I did," Klaus flopped down into an empty chair in the parlor room where they were gathered.

"I believe we have," Elijah told him with a hint of optimism in his voice. "Stefan and Damon were just explaining how they brought Caroline back.

"I showed her a memory I had of her mom, a conversation we'd had shortly before her death that Caroline didn't know about," Stefan explained.

"Worked like a charm," Damon added with a pleased grin.

 _Well played, Stefan,_ Cassandra chuckled in amusement. _And now I'll be prepared so that it won't work on me._

"I believe the same principle can be applied to Cassandra," Elijah finished. "All we need is the right memory."

"And that's where I come in," Damon spoke next.

"You?" Klaus sounded a little taken aback.

"Yep. I'm the one with the memory this time. When I drove Liz home from the Sheriff Station the night she died, we'd shared a conversation in the car. It was about Cassandra and Hope."

"And you think this will be enough?" Klaus asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"Nope," Cassandra answered out loud.

"Well, I'm like, ninety-eight percent sure it'll work," was Damon's answer.

"Which still leaves us with a two percent chance that it won't," Klaus grumbled.

"We won't know until he tries, Niklaus," Elijah reasoned with him.

"Very well. Do it. And be quick about it," Klaus gave in.

 _Okay, so Damon's going to be waking through that door in the next sixty to ninety seconds. My chances of getting past him are slightly better than when Klaus was here. What I need is something I can use as a weapon._ She panned the room, hoping something would catch her eyes. She could use the glass from the light bulbs, but they'd surely notice if one or more were suddenly missing, so that idea was out. What she could really use was something made of wood.

 _Ah ha!_ Her eyes landed on the bed. She rushed over to it and dropped to the floor to crawl underneath it on her back. She made quick work of ripping through the cloth covering. _There you are!_ She grinned at the now visible wooden slats which made up the base that the matress rested on top of. She slammed her hand against the center of one of the thirty-inch wood pieces making up the base a couple of times until it broke all the way through, then tugged as hard as she could until one of the sides broke off, leaving her with a fifteen-inch piece of wood to use as a weapon.

She quickly climbed back out and picked herself up off the floor. Gripping the piece of wood in her hand, she stared at it and grinned in victory. A click coming from the door made her head swivel toward it. She slipped the piece of wood into the hem of her jeans behind her back and quickly covered it with her shirt before taking a seat on the bed. The door swung open, revealing Damon who walked in and shut it behind him.

"Hey Cassandra," Damon flashed her a friendly smile as he walked over to the bed. "I was hoping you'd let me show you something."

"The memory of a conversation you had with my mom before she died about me and my daughter," Cassandra answered quickly with a pleased smirk tugging at her lips.

"You were listening to us. Good. Saves me a little time. May I?" He motioned at the bed. She nodded, watching him as he took a seat beside her and held out his hand. She eyed it for a moment before slowly placing her hand into his. "Close your eyes," he instructed.

She obliged, and a moment later found herself being transported to Damon's memory.

 _"So, can I start calling you grandma now?" Damon glanced to his right at Elizabeth as he pulled away from the Sheriff's office, his lips spread into a cheeky grin._

 _"Oh, I suppose," Elizabeth laughed softly and leaned back into the passenger seat. "I still can't believe they're here. Hope is...she's so perfect. I'm sad I won't get to see her grow up. Will you promise me something, Damon?"_

 _"Of course, Liz. Anything," Damon nodded._

 _"I trust Cassandra and Caroline to tell her all about me and share their own memories with her, but I want you to promise me you'll tell her about your own memories of me, too."_

 _"Oh, I will," Damon grinned._

 _"But do keep it clean, please. And no embellishing," she pointed a finger at him._

 _"I'll be nice, I promise," Damon did his best to sound reassuring. Elizabeth turned her head away from him and gazed out of the window. Damon watched her for a long moment as he searched for the right words. He started to open his mouth to speak when the memory faded out, bringing Cassandra back to the present._

She blinked her eyes open and stared blankly at Damon. "That's it? That's all you got?"

"Apparently," Damon nodded and let go of her hand. "Huh. I really thought it would work. Guess I was wrong." He stood to his feet and shrugged. "Oh well."

"You can have an 'A' for effort," Cassandra let her hand fall to her side.

"Gee, thanks," he answered sarcastically. He turned around and walked back over to the door

Cassandra watched him, waiting for just the right moment to make her move. She carefully reached behind her back for the piece of wood and gripped it in her hand. As he reached for the long handle on the door, she whooshed behind him and raised her arm, intending to impale him in the back. Before she could make contact, he spun around with a burst of vampire speed and grabbed her wrist, stopping her arm in mid-air.

"You really thought you'd be able get the jump on me?" Damon raised his eyebrows. "I wrote the entire playbook on sneak attacks." He twisted her wrist hard until it made a loud, resounding crack.

"AAAH!" She cried out as her hand released the piece of wood onto the floor and pain shot up her arm. She raised her left arm, intending to take a swing at him, but he easily stopped her by grabbing onto her left wrist. "Ow! Let me go!" She struggled against his grip as the door to the room swung open. A second later she felt a pinch in her neck before everything around her blurred and faded away.

"Easy, love. I've got you," Klaus murmured as she slumped backwards into his awaiting arms. When he was certain she was out cold, Damon released her arms.

"Was it necessary to break her wrist?" Elijah spoke from the doorway, watching as Klaus carried Cassandra over to the bed and laid her down.

"Well," Damon reached down for the piece of wood on the floor and picked it up. "It was either that or let her stab me in the back and escape. Relax, she'll heal." Elijah nodded in understand, though he remained tight lipped.

"She'll be out for a while," Klaus walked over to the doorway and followed Elijah and Damon back out into the hallway.

"I don't understand. It should have worked," Stefan frowned. "Their mom was Caroline's trigger, but maybe Cassandra's is different."

"That's it," Elijah realized. "She abandoned her emotions after Caroline threatened to harm Hope if she failed to comply."

Stefan's eyes widened. "Hope is her trigger."

"And how exactly are we supposed to use a baby to get her to flip her switch back on?" Damon asked.

" _No one_ is using my daughter for anything," Klaus growled in a low voice.

"Niklaus—" Elijah started to protest but was cut off by Klaus holding up a hand.

"We don't need her," he told them. "I know exactly what to do now, and it _will_ work. Of that I am certain."

-o-

"Cass!" The voice calling out to her was faint and far away. "Cass! Wake up!" The voice tried again. This time it was louder and followed by something that began to shake her body.

"Mmm, huh?" She slowly blinked her eyes open and found Caroline looking down at her.

"Come on. We gotta go. Now!" Caroline reached for her hands and helped her sit up. "He's coming!"

"Who's coming?" Cassandra asked, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Her body was still moving slowly from the effects of the vervain in her system which hadn't completely warn off.

"Finn!" Caroline hissed. "He got himself a new body and figured out that you're here with Hope. He's come to kill her. The others are holding him off so we can get Hope out of here, but we don't have much time. He's powerful. Now, come on!" Caroline pulled her up onto her feet. She reached for the handle of the baby carrier and picked it up before taking Cassandra by the hand and pulling her along as they headed out of the room and down the hall to the grand staircase. They hurried down the stairs as quickly as they could and froze at the bottom as a loud yell echoed through the main hall. Both Cassandra and Caroline wasted no time bolting for the front door. They were halfway there when a force unlike anything either girl had ever experienced pulled them to a stop and gave them both explosive migraines.

"AH! OW!" Both girls cried out and gripped their heads as they turned around to face their attacker, a man with short, brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

"I'm afraid your darling daughter is out of time," Finn told them with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Wanna bet?" Caroline snapped and dug down deep for every last ounce of strength she had as she charged at him. Finn all but yawned and flicked his wrist, snapping her neck and sending her falling to the floor in a heap. "I am channeling both Niklaus and Elijah. You will never defeat me now."

Cassandra lifted her head and glanced past him to the other end of the hall where the door to the ballroom was. She could just barely make out the shapes of Finn's brothers on the floor and gasped softly at the sight of their immobile bodies.

"Yes, they did put up a good fight," Finn chuckled and began to walk towards her. "But they were no match for me in the end."

Cassandra started to reach for the handle of the baby carrier when Finn flicked his wrist and sent her flying backwards. She landed on her back with a groan and rolled onto her side. As she lifted her head, she could see Finn reach down into the baby carrier to pick up Hope.

"You should know," He cradled Hope in his arms. "I derive no pleasure from this, Cassandra. It is, without question, the hardest thing I'll ever do, but it must be done. If Dahlia finds her...well, I promise you, your daughter is better off dead than having to endure what Dahlia intends for her."

He reached behind his back and pulled out a dagger. Gripping the hilt, he raised his arm and, with one last apologetic glance at Cassandra, slammed the blade into Hope's chest, piercing her heart and killing her almost instantly.

"NO!" Cassandra let out a startled gasp as her eyes popped open. She was back in the old art room, laying on the bed. Her heart thudded rapidly inside her chest as adrenaline continued to pump through her veins. She didn't know what was going on. Was Hope dead? Had Finn found them? Or was it a dream? She needed to know if her daughter was okay.

"Cass!" Tyler called out to her to get her attention as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and pushed herself onto her feet. She snapped her head in the direction of his voice and found him standing in the doorway holding a bright-eyed, cooing, very-much-alive Hope in his arms.

"Oh my god!" Cassandra covered her mouth as relief flooded her body. It _was_ only a dream, and it had served its purpose. Like a dam breaking, every single one of her emotions came rushing back with a vengeance. The relief and joy that Hope was safe and sound quickly became overpowered by guilt and anguish over everything she'd done while having her humanity off.

She broke down into uncontrollable sobs and sunk to the floor. "Oh god! W-what have I done?"

"It's alright, love," Klaus appeared beside her and knelt down to her level. He started to stroke her head when she pushed his hand away.

"No, it's not," she shook her head at him. "I-I killed so many people in New York. And I slept with Stefan. And I freaking bit your brother _after_ snapping his neck. I'm a monster! A horrible, bloodthirsty monstor!"

Tyler rushed over to where Cassandra was and handed Hope to Klaus before dropping to his knees in front of her. "Hey," he gripped her arms. "Look at me. You are _not_ a monster, Cass. Come here," he moved so that he was sitting beside her and pulled her into his arms. "You'll be okay, Cass. You're just being sucker punched by all of your emotions. Focus on me, on my voice."

She buried her face against his chest, soaking the fabric of his shirt with her tears. She desperately wanted to go back to feeling nothing, but she knew she couldn't. Heeding his advice, she focused on Tyler's voice while he continued to talk her down, letting him be her anchor. Eventually, her sobs quieted, but she was left feeling emotionally and physically exhausted.

"Tyler," a voice she instantly recognized as Elijah's spoke gently from somewhere in the room. "See if you can get her to drink this. It will help her regain her strength."

She felt Tyler move his arm a moment before nudging her lightly. "Drink this, Cass," he murmured softly to her. She lifted her head and found him holding up a blood bag for her. She slowly reached for it and guided the straw-like tube that was connected to it to her lips. She sucked the bag dry in one breath and exhaled deeply as she set it on the floor. The blood's effect was almost instantaneous in returning her strength to her. She craved more, but she didn't dare ask for any. She was determined to be strong.

"How do you feel?" Tyler asked her.

"Better," she whispered. "Thank you."

"Good. Ready to get up?"

"Okay."

She carefully untangled herself from him and allowed him to help her back onto her feet. Her eyes slowly flickered around the room until they landed on Klaus and Hope. She took a deep breath and cautiously made her way over to them. Hope squealed in delight and stretched her tiny arms out toward Cassandra as she neared.

"Hi!" Cassandra cooed at her daughter and moved a hand toward her. Hope immediately latched onto her finger, gripping it tightly.

"She's missed you," Klaus murmured with a smile. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Yes," Cassandra whispered with a nod of her head. Klaus carefully handed Hope over to her. She pressed her lips against the top of her daughter's head and inhaled deeply, basking in her delightful scent. "I am so, so sorry for leaving you, sweetheart," she gazed down at her. Time seemed to stop, and, for a long moment, Cassandra forgot about everyone else in the room. It was Klaus's soft voice that brought her back.

"I placed your things in your old room if you'd like to clean up a little. I thought you'd be the most comfortable there," his voice was gentle.

"That's incredibly thoughtful of you. Thank you," she nodded with a weak smile. "Actually, a shower sounds kind of amazing."

She passed Hope back to him, making sure to shower her with kisses and reassurance that she would be right back before turning around and heading out of the room. She found Elijah standing in the hallway talking softly to Damon and Stefan.

"Uh, hey," she squeaked awkwardly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Hello," Elijah murmured with a smile.

"Welcome back," Damon gave her a friendly nod.

Cassandra nodded back at them and quickly turned to head down the hall in the opposite direction from them before Stefan could say anything. She couldn't bring herself to face him. Not yet. When she reached her old room, she shut the door behind her and exhaled slowly. Klaus was right. Even though the furniture in the room had been covered with sheets to keep out dust during their absence, there was a familiarity that calmed her and made her feel safe.

She spotted her big duffel bag on the floor beside the bed and walked over to it. She knelt down and opened it. Her phone lay right on top, though the battery was dead. She found her charger in a side pocket and plugged it into the wall so her phone could charge while she was in the shower. After grabbing a change of clothes and her toiletries bag, she disappeared into the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stripped off her clothes before getting in and standing under the stream of hot water. She closed her eyes and let out a huge sigh as she tilted her head back so her hair could get wet.

 _I'm so sorry for the mess I've made, mom_ ," Cassandra thought to herself. _I wish you were here to tell me everything's going to be okay_. _I miss you so much already._ She blinked as tears stung her eyes and quickly wiped them away. "Come on, Cass. You don't get the luxury of wallowing in guilt. You have to be strong. For Hope."

She paused a beat, then let out a soft breath. Saying the words out loud didn't make the guilt she felt magically go away. She knew it was going to take time and patience, two things she had an abundance of. One day at a time—that was going to be her new mantra.

Once she finished her shower, she dried herself off and redressed in a pair of blue jeans and a long sleeve turquoise shirt. She took her time combing and blow drying her hair and finally emerged from the bathroom a good 20 minutes later. She packed up her bag, making sure to retrieve her phone and charger from the outlet she'd plugged it into, and zipped it shut. With her phone in one hand and the shoulder strap to her duffel in the other, she took one more look around before heading out into the hallway.

As she walked toward the parlor, she glanced at her phone to see if there were any messages from Caroline. There were none. With a gloomy sigh, she slipped her phone into her back pocket. She could hear low voices when she came to stop a few feet back from the door.

"She needs normalcy, Elijah. Order. The sooner we get back to New Orleans, to our home, the better," Klaus argued.

"I don't disagree with you, brother, but she's not going to want to go anywhere without seeing her sister first," Elijah argued back.

"That may be true, but Caroline's whereabouts are currently unknown, nor do we know when she'll decide to return to Mystic Falls. We cannot wait any longer to return to The Quarter."

"Perhaps you and Hope should return to New Orleans. I could stay and look after Cassandra while she tries to locate her sister."

"Absolutely out of the question," Klaus snapped, squashing Elijah's suggestion without blinking. "I am not about to take from her the one person who brought back her emotions."

"Niklaus, please. There must be a compromise here. One day. Two at most," Elijah pleaded.

"No," Klaus spoke in a low, firm voice.

Cassandra took a deep breath and swallowed slowly. The only thing she hated more than their arguing was the fact that they were arguing about her and what was best for her. It only brought forward more feelings of guilt. She couldn't take it anymore and knew she would have to go into the room to stop their squabble or they'd go on for hours. _You can do this, Cass. Just walk in there and say what you know you need to say._ She clenched her hands into tight fists for a moment, then relaxed them at her sides and stepped through the doorway into the parlor.

"Stop!" She held up her hand as she called out in a loud voice, effectively silencing Klaus and Elijah who turned their heads toward her. Klaus was holding Hope in his arms, and she immediately began to squirm and squeal in delight at the sight of her mother. "Just stop. Please. I can't handle your arguing about me right now."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Klaus murmured, walking up to her. He took her bag from her and handed off Hope to her.

"My apologies, Cassandra. We never meant to upset you," Elijah spoke in a gentle voice.

Cassandra smiled at Hope and took a seat on the couch next to Tyler before nodding at both of them. "Neither of you are wrong," she continued, bouncing Hope on her lap while she spoke. "While I desperately want to see my sister, or at the very least speak to her on the phone, it's not what she wants right now. It kills me, but it is what it is. I think that the best thing we can do is head back to The Quarter and prepare our defenses for the battle we all know is coming. Caroline will call me when she's ready, and then we'll figure out when and where to meet up."

"You're certain this is what you want to do?" Elijah asked.

"Yes. It is," Cassandra nodded.

"Alright then. I'll start packing up the car," Elijah nodded and took her duffel bag from Klaus before leaving the room.

-o-

"I'm gonna miss you so much," Cassandra whispered, hugging Tyler tightly while they stood outside by the car. "You sure there's nothing I can say to convince you to come with us?"

"I have classes, you know that," he squeezed her back.

"I know," she nodded as they let go of each other. She met his eyes and swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "I just…the guilt, the pain, it's lessoned whenever I'm near you."

"I'm your life-size, human security blanket," he chuckled.

"Something like that, yeah. You weren't a part of anything that happened while my humanity was off so I don't associate you with any of it."

"Well, I do have spring break coming up in a few weeks. Why don't I come and see you and Hope then?"

Cassandra's face instantly brightened. "Really? Oh, Tyler, that would be perfect. You'll be able to meet Hayley's new husband, Jackson. I know you don't really want anything to do with her, but you'll like Jackson. The Crescents, they're good people, and I think they could totally help you embrace your werewolf side and learn to deal with all of the emotions that come with it."

"It's settled, then. And who knows? Maybe I'll be able to convince your sister to tag along with me. If she ever shows her face again."

"That would be perfect," Cassandra gushed and hugged him one last time before turning to Elena who stood patiently beside Tyler waiting for her turn to say goodbye.

"You're gonna get through this, Cass," Elena murmured as they hugged. "If I can, you definitely can. Just take it one day at a time."

"Thanks, Elena," Cassandra sniffed softy. She started to pull away when she felt a third pair of arms wrap around both her and Elena. She immediately knew who had joined them by the scent in the air and felt her lips curling in to a huge grin as she looked up and found Bonnie smiling back at her. "Bonnie!" Cassandra beamed. "You came!"

"Of course I did. You didn't think I'd let you leave without saying goodbye, did you?" She gave Cassandra's arm a gentle squeeze.

"I'm glad. Oh gosh, I'm so sorry for what I said to you. It was so rude and—"

"It's okay. You weren't wrong. I kind of am like a cat with nine lives…though I think you're right about me being down six now. It's fine, really. Don't beat yourself up over it, okay?"

"Okay," Cassandra nodded. "I'll do my best. If either of you hear from my sister—"

"We'll get her to call you, we promise," Elena reassured her. "

"Thank you," Cassandra murmured and hugged them both one last time. She took a step back and turned to Damon who was standing next to Elena. "I'm glad my mom had you for a best friend, even if you were driving her batty half the time. I know you were helping me for her and I wanted you to know how grateful I am for that. So, thank you."

"You're welcome," Damon smiled back at her. "Don't wait too long to visit us again with your mini me over there. I have to keep the deal I made with your mom to tell your daughter all about her."

"Absolutely," Cassandra smiled.

With one last look at everyone, she walked over to Elijah's car where he and Klaus were waiting. She silently climbed into the back seat with Hope and made herself comfortable while Elijah took the driver's seat and Klaus rode in the passenger seat. As the car began to move down the driveway to the street, she glanced out of the window at her friends and gave them one final wave before losing sight of them. Turning to her daughter, she stretched out her hand and let Hope grab onto one of her fingers.

"We're going home, Hope," she whispered to her daughter.


	43. Back In The Swing Of Things

**Hey guys! I am so sorry for these monthly-instead-of-weekly updates. Sometimes life just gets busy, as I'm sure those of you who are back in school now can understand. Anyway, I will keep trying to get chapters out sooner rather than later. A lot of you wanted more Cassandra/Hope moments, and I am happy to tell you that there are quite a few of those in this chapter that will bring smiles to your faces. I also wanted to let those of you who have been vocal about your feelings towards Caroline's actions resulting in Cassandra turning off her humanity and the fallout of all of that know that I hear you loud and clear and have taken it under advisement. You'll find out how that plays out in the next chapter, though. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter. Thank you again for taking the time to read my story!**

* * *

 **Chapter 43 - Back In The Swing Of Things**

"You coming, sweetheart?" Klaus paused and turned back to Cassandra. He had been walking a few paces ahead of her with the baby carrier when he realized she was no longer following behind him as they headed through the entrance corridor of the compound to the courtyard inside. Elijah was a step behind her carrying their bags.

"Yeah, just needed to take a beat," Cassandra quickly shuffled forward to catch up to him and continued to walk beside him. As they entered the courtyard, her eyes landed on a small group of Crescent Wolves mingling on the farthest side of the inside area. She swallowed slowly and pressed her palms against the sides of her legs.

"No one's going to look at you any differently or judge you if that's what you're worried about," Klaus murmured in a gentle voice. "I won't let them."

"Nor will I," Elijah fell into step on the other side of her.

Cassandra gave them both a silent nod and followed behind Klaus as he went up the stairs to the second floor where Hayley and Jackson were waiting for them.

"Hey," Hayley smiled as they exchanged a hug. Cassandra smiled weakly, then turned to Jackson and gave him a quick squeeze.

"Welcome back," Jackson's deep voice echoed as he hugged her back. "I am so sorry about your mom."

"Thanks," Cassandra gave a slight shrug.

"Oh! Almost forgot," Jackson paused and reached into his back pocket and revealed a postmarked envelope. "This came for you while you were away."

"Really?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows in surprise as she took the envelope from him. "But who would—" She stopped abruptly as her eyes landed on the envelope, instantly recognizing the handwriting. "It-it's from my mom," she whispered. "She must have sent it before I got to town to surprise her, in...in case we didn't get to say goodbye." She paused to swallow a newly formed lump in her throat and took a deep breath as a wave of grief washed over her. She glanced up and found Klaus, Elijah, Jackson, and Hayley gazing back at her with looks of sadness in their eyes. "I...I need to be alone while I open this. Excuse me."

She made her way past them without looking back and headed down the corridor until she reached the hallway leading to the bedroom. With each step, she could feel her heart pounding inside her chest. When she finally made it to the bedroom, she walked over to her side of the bed and sat down. She stared at the envelope for a long moment before flipping it over. She carefully ran her thumb against the edge of the sealed flap, but when the moment came to peal it open, she froze. She couldn't do it. She wasn't ready. She'd barely begun to really grieve over the loss of her mom. She wasn't strong enough yet to read the contents of the letter.

She slowly stood up and walked over to dresser. She opened the top drawer where she kept her intimate clothing and slid her hand down the side until she reached the bottom. When she pulled it back out she was clutching a small, wooden keepsake box. She didn't have much in it, just a couple of items she'd chosen to hold on to when she originally left Mystic Falls to come to New Orleans—her favorite photos of her family, the drawing Klaus had given her the night of the ball, and the tassel from her college graduation cap. She placed the unopened letter from her mom inside and gently closed the lid before slipping it back under all of her clothing to the bottom of the drawer. As she was pushing the door closed, she heard footsteps and looked up to find Klaus walking up to her.

"I couldn't read it," Cassandra murmured sadly. "It's...I'm not ready to."

"That's completely understandble," Klaus spoke softly. "You've only just began to grieve. It will take time to mourn and heal. Just know, you aren't alone in this."

"I know," she whispered with a slight nod of her head.

"If I may," He held out his hands to her. "I want to show you something."

"Okay," she nodded and placed her hands in his.

Klaus led her over to the wall where the door to the nursery was. "Close your eyes. It's a surprise." She closed her eyes and waited patiently for whatever was going to happen next. A moment later, she felt his hands on the top of her shoulders gently guiding her forward. After half a dozen steps, he made her stop. Then he turned her body so that she was facing in the proper direction. "Now, open them," he spoke softly into her ear.

Cassandra slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring at a beautiful painted portrait of her mother in her sheriff's uniform that hung on the wall behind the crib. She covered her mouth as her eyes welled with tears until they overflowed and began to trickle down her cheeks.

"I painted it the day after you left," Klaus told her. "I wanted you to have something to remember her by. I thought that hanging it in here would be of some comfort and so our daughter can see her beloved grandmother's beautiful face when she wakes up and before she goes to sleep."

"It's perfect," Cassandra turned to Klaus and threw her arms around his neck as she choked back a sob. "Absolutely, incredibly, and wonderfully perfect. I'll never be able to thank you enough for it."

Klaus wrapped his arms around her and pressed his cheek against the side of her head. "I'm very glad to hear that." He murmured lightly.

Cassandra lifted her head up to meet his eyes as a few tears trickled down her cheeks. Klaus brought a hand up to caress the side of her face and gently brushed her tears away with the edge of his thumb. He started to lean in, intending to gently kiss her on the lips, when she turned her head away.

"I can't," she whispered, shaking her head back and forth. "It's not you, I swear. It's me." She paused and cautiously met Klaus's confused eyes. "You may have forgiven me for what I did with Stefan, but I haven't forgiven me."

"You still feel guilty," Klaus realized.

"Yes," Cassandra nodded.

"You weren't yourself, love," he tried to reason with her. "There's no need to—"

"That's no excuse." She dropped her arms to her sides and stepped back from him. "Humanity or no humanity, I still had my free will. I could have walked away, but I didn't. And you being so forgiving and compassionate towards me only makes my guilt worse." She paused, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. "Maybe if this were my first offense, I wouldn't be so hard on myself, but it's not. First it was Kol, then Elijah, and now Stefan. I keep doing these things that hurt you and I don't know why. I'm not meaning to self-sabotage what we have, but maybe this is fate's way of telling us we aren't meant to—"

"I'm going to stop you right there, love," Klaus raised a hand. He stepped towards her and carefully reached for both of her hands, clasping them in his. "They say one of the worst times to make important decisions is when one's emotions are running high. The last thing I want is for you to end up saying something you'll come to regret later."

Cassandra hung her head and eyed the floor as she gave a slow nod. "I guess I just need some time to make sense of everything, to process it all."

"I think that's a wise idea," Klaus murmured in agreement. "And I, in turn, shall give you the space to do so and see that Elijah does the same."

"Thank you," Cassandra lifted her eyes up to meet his. Klaus gave her a sad smile and brought her right hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it gently before letting go and leaving her alone in the nursery with Hope.

She watched him leave before making her way over to the crib and gazed down at her daughter who was sitting up and slobbering all over the ear of a pink stuffed bunny she held in her tiny hands. Cassandra smiled at her and reached down to pick her up. She sat down in the rocking chair and repositioned Hope so that she was sitting sideways on her lap. As she slowly rocked back and forth, she gazed over at the portrait of her mother. _I miss you so much, mom. I don't know how I'm going to do this without you._ Shaking the cloud of sadness away, she turned her attention back to Hope, making a silent promise to tell her all about her strong, courageous grandmother every day.

* * *

From the bell tower atop St. Louis Cathedral, Finn stood as still as a statue while he gazed through the barely open, horizontal window blinds at the French Quarter below. His older sister, Freya, was there with him. She'd found his burnt body at the Arkansas coroner's office after losing his fight against Elijah and used her blue amulet to restore his body. The whole ordeal left him more livid at his brothers than ever before.

"Don't worry," Freya murmured in a gentle voice as she walked up to him, stopping beside a large work table that was against the wall behind him. "I've made sure no one can come in here."

"I'm not worried, I'm just impatient for a reunion with the brothers who tried to kill me," Finn answered in a low voice. He turned around and stepped toward her. "Freya, now that I'm healed, I need power. Now, our father's still in the tomb where I left him. I think it's time that I go back and I channel him."

He walked past her, intending to leave the tower. "Finn," Freya slowly turned around to call after him, prompting him to stop and spin around to face her. "I need a moment alone with him first. It's been a thousand years. He doesn't even know I'm still alive."

"Believe me, Freya, that is for the best," Finn was adamantly against her request. "He's a monster."

Freya shook her head as she walked closer to Finn. "He wasn't a monster to me."

"Well, he changed after you were taken. Freya, I spent years hoping that he would go back to being himself, but he never did. And from what I understand, over the centuries he's grown far worse."

"Just a few minutes, my sweet Munin."

Finn let out an exasperated breath and hung his head in defeat. Using his special nickname did him in. "I suppose you'll want time with our mother as well," he muttered, looking up at her.

"Esther gave me away. She is nothing to me," Freya whispered. "Let her rot."

Finn gave the slightest nod of his head and led the way out of the bell tower. Fifteen minutes later, they were walking through Lafayette Cemetery, a mere three miles away from their hiding place at the church. They arrived the Lyonne Tomb and found Mikael and Esther/Lenore's desiccated bodies exactly where Finn had left them. He found an old sheet in one of the darkened corners of the tomb and knelt down beside his mother, carefully covering her body with it.

"Our brothers probably have spies all over the place looking for us," He turned his head to glance up at Freya.

"I won't be long, Finn," she gave him a reassuring smile. "I promise."

Finn rose to his feet and turned to her, doubt reflected in his eyes. "Freya, are you sure you wanna do this?" Freya rolled her eyes and continued to smile as she glanced down at their father. "This is _not_ the man that you remember."

"He is still my father," Freya answered.

Finn nodded, accepting her decision. He knelt down and carefully picked up Esther's covered body before leaving the tomb, allowing Freya to see their father alone. Once he was gone, Freya knelt down beside Mikael and pulled a small knife out of her coat pocket. She held the tip of the knife against her right index finger and began to chant an incantation as she sliced it open. She dropped the knife onto her lap and rubbed her bleeding index finger against the middle and ring fingers of her left hand while she continued chanting, then lowered her fingers and pressed them against Mikael's mouth. She finished the incantation and lowered her hand back to her side. Mikael's skin instantly began to return to its normal peach hue. His eyes popped open as he let out a resounding gasp.

He scrambled to his feet and stared at Freya in dismay. "What devil are you?" He growled in a low voice.

"Someone you once loved deeply, my father," Freya took a step towards him, her voice and face full of emotion.

Mikael whooshed at her and grabbed her by the neck as he slammed her back against the wall. "I've no time for your riddles, witch!"

"Do you not recognize me?" Freya asked in a calm voice. "Can you not see the daughter you thought died so long ago?"

"You lie!" Mikael snarled, unwilling to believe her.

"You named your sword Rawthul after the early morning sun. Its hilt was golden like the color of my hair." Freya went on. Mikael stared at her in complete shock and slowly lowered his arm before taking a step backwards. "You said it would remind you of me while you were in battle. That I'd be by your side no matter how far afield you traveled."

"It can't be," Mikael murmured as she walked toward him.

"The night before you left for war, you christened that sword with goat's blood. When I awoke, you were gone. I never saw you again."

Mikael was on the verge of tears. "It's been a thousand years. How is this possible?"

"I was taken by Dahlia," Freya told him and took him by the hands. "I'll explain everything. Just say you believe me," she dropped to her knees in front of him as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Mikael knelt down and slowly brought his hands to the sides of her face, gently caressing her. "My beautiful Freya," he whispered. "My daughter," he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly as his own tears fell down the sides of his face.

* * *

"It's time to use our werewolf army," Klaus stood in the parlor room facing Jackson and Hayley who were sitting on the couch across from him as he addressed them. Cassandra sat on the opposite couch which Klaus happened to be standing beside, and gently bounced Hope on her lap. "Finn and the woman who calls herself my sister are in this city. The wolves can help us pinpoint their location."

"No. We need all hands on deck here with Hope," Jackson was quick to turn down Klaus's proposition. Klaus raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly in surprise at Jackson's quick refusal. "I think you can compel humans to track your enemies."

"Do my ears deceive me, or did _you_ just give _me_ an order in my own home?" Klaus stared at Jackson with a midly amused smirk on his lips.

"This ain't about your ego, Klaus. It's about what's best for that little girl," Jackson snapped in a louder voice.

"How dare you question _my_ intentions for my daughter?" Klaus growled back.

"Jackson," Cassandra spoke in a calm voice, hoping to calm things down before they escalated to the point of upsetting the baby in her arms. As the next words left her mouth, she didn't dare look over at Klaus to see the smug smile she was certain he would be wearing. "Klaus is right. Finn's body disappeared from the morgue, which means that either he's powerful enough to heal from that explosion, or Freya's powerful enough to save him. Either way, we're not finding him unless we send our best people out there."

"I agree with them, Jack" Hayley added in a soft voice.

"But I'm sure you and all your merry men will find them posthaste," Klaus smirked.

Jackson let out a heavy sigh and rose to his feet. "Just to be clear," he walked up to Klaus and looked him straight in the eyes. "I'm giving this order because Cassandra is asking. Don't think for one second I take orders from you."

Klaus remained quiet, but the satisfaction that Jackson was complying was very evident on his face. With nothing left to say, Jackson walked out of the room to rally his men and deliver the instructions for their new assignment.

"Well, on that jolly note," Cassandra slowly rose to her feet and shifted Hope to her left hip. "I need to go give Hope her bottle and put her down for a nap." She excused herself from the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

After giving the pack the order to hunt down Finn, Jackson started to make his way through one of the second-floor hallways, searching for Hayley, when he was followed by Aiden who wanted to speak to him in private.

"So, what, are we now, errand boys?" Aiden asked, clearly not thrilled about the pack's new task.

"I told you, Finn's powerful. If we're gonna find him, we need numbers, strength, and speed," Jackson cast a glance in Aiden's direction.

"Wait, Jack, these new abilities of ours, people are already talking about what they can do _individually_ ," Aiden continued, forcing Jackson to slow to a stop and turn around to face him. "They need to feel respected, not like cannon fodder. We're gonna lose good men—"

"We're not gonna lose anybody if you _stay alert_ ," Jackson raised his voice. "Hunt Finn down as a pack. Catch him off guard." He paused and lowered his voice. "The sooner we find this freak, the sooner we can relax." Aiden gave a slow, silent nod. "And Aiden, I appreciate your concern, but why don't you let me worry about the pack?"

Jackson turned around and walked away, leaving Aiden standing alone in the hallway.

"Surprising," Klaus stepped out into the hallway at the end of the hall behind Aiden with his hands comfortably tucked behind his back. He'd been lurking in the shadows, listening the entire time. "How little he values your input. Especially since it was you," he pointed at Aiden. "Who led the wolves during his self-imposed exile."

Aiden rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed sigh as he turned around to face Klaus. "What do you want, Klaus?"

"Merely to offer advice that may save the lives of good men," Klaus slowly began to walk towards Aiden. "My brother Finn is not entirely sane, but he is clever. If you approach him _en masse_ , he will see you coming and he will destroy you _en masse_. Instead, be strategic. Move quietly," he whispered the word and came to a stop in front of Aiden. "I'll handle the rest."

He didn't wait for a response and quickly shuffled past Aiden. Aiden glanced over his shoulder, listening to Klaus's footsteps grow farther away. He had to think long and hard about his next move and whether to listen to the order from his pack Alpha that he disagreed with or follow Klaus's advice.

-o-

Cassandra held her breath as she tiptoed out of the nursery as quietly as she could. She started to reach for the door when a light tap drew her attention. She glanced over her left shoulder and found Jackson walking into the bedroom with a plate in his hand.

"Shh," she whispered and quietly shut the nursery door. "I just got her down."

"Thought you might be hungry," he held out the plate to her.

Cassandra took the plate, arching her eyebrows as a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Grilled cheese, huh? That's impressive."

"I don't like to brag," Jackson chuckled and slipped his hands into his pockets. He watched as Cassandra walked over to the table next to the window and set the plate down before picking up half of the sandwich, casually joining her after a beat. "You know, I'd be happy to look after Hope for you if you ever wanna take a break sometime, you know, to eat or take a nap or whatever. I'm good with kids."

"That's really sweet of you to offer," Cassandra flashed him a sincere smile. "I missed six months of her life, not to mention the past couple of weeks, so right now I don't mind. But whenever I do decide I need a break, I'll for sure take you up on your offer."

"Good. Well, I'll leave you to eat in peace," Jackson gave her a nod and turned to leave the room.

Cassandra brought the sandwich up to her mouth to take a bite when Hope began to cry. "Or," Cassandra sighed and set the sandwich back on the plate before heading over to the nursery. "I could go and feed the baby." She flashed Jackson a 'thanks-anyway' smile before opening the door to the nursery.

* * *

Upon arriving at Lafayette Cemetery, Aiden instructed the pack to split up and search the grounds for Finn. He headed in one direction and went inside a large, dimly lit tomb. There were no noticeable sighs of life. He was halfway to the other end of the tomb when a distant howl followed by a low grunt made him stop and turn around. Slow footsteps grew closer and louder until Mikael came around the corner and into view. Aiden's eyes widened in horror, not at the blood dripping down Mikael's chin and neck, but at the bloody heart he held in his right hand.

"I much prefer vampire blood, but, after so long a slumber, one needn't be so picky," he murmured lightly. "Oh," he glanced at the heart he was holding. "I believe this belongs to one of your mangy spies," he tossed the heart onto the ground at Aiden's feet.

Aiden glanced down at it for a moment, then slowly looked up at Mikael. "Klaus is gonna kill you," he hissed in a low voice.

"Is. That. So?" Mikael snickered and began to walk towards Aiden.

"Leave him, father," Freya appeared from around the corner and called out to him in a loud, authoritative voice, stopping him in his tracks. "Bloodshed is merely a distraction. We have important matters to attend to."

She clasped her hands together and brought them up to her mouth where she blew into them, magically creating a high-pitched whistle. Aiden let out a loud yell and covered his ears with his hands as he keeled over in pain.

"AAAAAH!" He screamed and fell to a knee. Then all was quiet. He lifted his head and found that Mikael and Freya had completely vanished. He wiped his mouth and stood back up to regain his bearings before leaving the tomb to find his fallen packmate.

On the opposite end of the cemetary, Klaus began to make his way through the maze of tombs in search of Finn. His phone began to buzz loudly from inside his coat pocket. He stopped walking and reached into his pocket for his phone. When he pulled it out to look at the screen, Elijah's name was flashing back at him. He hit the red _decline_ button and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"FINN!" He hollered and continued to make his way down the row, looking left and right as he shouted. "I know you're here! The wolves tell me you've been quite active robbing graves and violating corpses. Sounds like you." He came to a crossroads and did a slow three-sixty. "Why don't you come out so we can finish this?" He yelled again.

"Hello, Niklaus," Finn called in a calm voice from a hundred yeards behind Klaus.

Klaus quickly turned around to face him. Finn began to walk towards him, so Klaus followed suit. Both stopped when they were twenty yards away from each other. "Such a pedestrian greeting. How unfortunate those are to be your last words."

"Your hubris truly knows no bounds! You attack a witch in the very place that the ancestors call home. Tisk, tisk, tisk," Finn waved his finger, scolding Klaus as if he were a child.

"You're a fool if you think the ancestors give a damn about you," Klaus muttered back in a low voice.

Finn held his hands up in defence. "They may not care for me, brother, but they _hate_ you!" He let out a roar and threw his hands forward, shooting a stream of fire toward Klaus. The flames dissipated until all that remained were a few torches, revealing that Klaus had vanished from sight, much to Finn's dismay.

"You lost a step, brother," Klaus called out from on top of the roof of a nearby tomb, having vamp-sped to it before the flames could cause him any harm. "But then, being blown to pieces will do that, I suppose."

He jumped off the roof and whooshed toward Finn, but before he could reach him, Finn waved his hand and sent a piece of wrought iron fence flying at Klaus. The spikes from the top of the fence embed themselves in Klaus and shoulders and pinned him back against the wall of a tomb, but aside from a little pain and a tiny bit of blood on his bottom lip, it did little to hurt him. Finn held his hand out, using all his strength to keep Klaus pinned in place by the fence.

"Finished so soon, my indestructible brother?" Finn's outstretched hand shook as he channeled his power. "Father was right about you. You're nothing but a _pathetic_ disappointment."

" _You_ judge _me_?" Klaus gripped the fence with both hands and struggled to pull it out as he glared at him. "You who cursed Kol to death?" Finn tightened his jaw, clearly bothered by the reminder. Klaus knew he'd hit a nerve and continued pressing it.

"But you didn't stop there, did you? No. As an encore, you sought the death of an innocent child." Klaus let out a loud grunt as he channeled all of his hybrid strength and finally yanked out the iron fence from his upper body. He broke off one of the spike tipped rods and threw the rest of the fence on the ground. " _My_ child," he lobbed the rod at Finn with a burst of vampire strength, piercing Finn in the abdomen, the momentum from the throw sending him backwards into the tomb directly behind him with a loud groan.

Klaus vamp-sped over to him gripped his shoulder with his left hand while he reached for the rod with his other. "For what you would've done to Hope, I'm going to enjoy making you suffer," Klaus hissed in a low, menacing voice. He slowly pulled the rod out, insuring it caused Finn the maximum amount of pain in the process, then pushed him down onto his knees. He held the rod up in the air, intending to stab Finn a second time with it, but before he could finish the movement, Elijah came vamp-speeding out of nowhere and grabbed Klaus, yanking him off of Finn and shoving him back against the tomb across from where he'd pinned Finn.

"You didn't answer my call,"' Elijah held him back with a hand as he spoke in a low, slightly out-of-breath voice.

"Well, I was a little bit busy," Klaus answered nonchalantly.

Elijah glanced over at Finn who was laying on the ground. "I need him alive," he told Klaus.

"I have no time for your soft-hearted sympathies," Klaus growled and shoved Elijah's hand away from holding him back. He tried to move around Elijah, but Elijah quickly moved to block Klaus's way. "Stand aside," Klaus growled. Elijah simply stared him down and refused to move. Finn's body twitched as he grunted and started to struggle for breath.

"Let him die, Elijah!" Klaus ordered.

"The witches want that body returned unharmed," Elijah spoke in a calm rush of words.

"And what else do they want? A parade?" He snapped, his anger and annoyance growing with every second. "Free broomsticks for all?"

Elijah would not concede. "This alliance could be greatly beneficial to us all." He'd spent the better part of the day, with Gia's help, working to convince Josephine LaRue, the elder Tremé witch leader responsible for funding the Fauline Cottage, the magically locked witch asylum where Kol had sent Rebekah when he used magic to put her in a witch body, to trust him and give him information on the witch body Rebekah now possessed.

"Yes, well, currying some witch's favor does not concern me!" Klaus snapped back.

"It should," Freya came walking around the corner of the tomb they were standing beside. Elijah and Klaus stared at her in surprise as she flashed them a friendly smile. "Witch allies can prove valuable." She walked in between Elijah and Klaus and continued over to where Finn lay.

"Freya," Finn gasped softly as he looked up at her with blood dribbling down the side of his mouth. "Freya, help me."

"Don't worry, brother. I won't let them hurt you," Freya reassured him in a gentle voice. She used two of her fingers to left up the blue pendent she wore around her neck and began to chant an incantation. The pendent began to glow and Finn started to moan in agony until his wounds were healed.

Once Freya was done casting her spell, Finn/Vincent gasped and held his hands up in defense, a petrified look on his face. "Who are you?" He asked her.

"Sleep," Freya spoke in a soft voice and extended her hand toward him, making him pass out on the ground instantly. Elijah and Klaus stared at her in shock.

"What did you do to him?" Klaus walked toward her.

Freya turned to face him and held up her pendent. "Finn is now safe from harm. And his hatred of you can no longer do damage to our cause."

" _Our_ cause?" Elijah narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.

"Yes," Freya glanced at Elijah and nodded. "Ours." She turned back to Klaus. "And now, if you two can stop arguing long enough, perhaps you'll allow your," she looked back at Elijah. "Older sister to offer you a deal."

"What could you possibly offer us besides fairytales and lies?" Klaus asked, his voice full of skeptisim.

"Whatever you may think of me, brother, know this: When I speak to you, it is the truth," Freya looked him in the eyes. "If you've any doubts," she shifted her gaze over to Elijah and looked back and forth between him and Klaus as she tried to convince them they could believe her. "Remember it was I who rescued Rebekah from Fauline Cottage."

"And was it not also you who led Finn on his vile mission to take Hope's life?" Elijah sneered at her as he walked past her.

"The threat to Hope came from Finn," Freya told him, prompting him to spin around to face her. "Not me." Her voice softened as she looked down at the ground. "The brother I knew would never have stooped to threaten a child. Our mother destroyed him. Like she did me," she turnd toward Klaus. "You. Everything she touched."

"Do not speak as though we are familiars," Klaus growled at her. "We know nothing of you."

Freya raised her hands and held them facing out toward both Klaus and Elijah, allowing them both to simutanesely see her memory from the day she had been taken by their Aunt Dahlia.

 _"I cannot give up my child," Esther begged her older sister not to take her first-born as she held onto the hand of her second child, Finn, who stood next to her_

 _"Mommy!" A young Freya cried out for her mother as Dahlia picked her up and walked off with her._

 _"No! Dahlia. Freya, please!" Esther pleaded again._

 _"Mama!" Freya screamed!_

"Do you think me a liar?" Freya's voice brought them out of the memory and back to the present.

Klaus wasn't so easily swayed. "That proves nothing but your ability to conjour illusions," he slowly raised his head to look at her.

"Before you dismiss me, you should know this. If I've woken from my slumber, then Dahlia has as well. Once she's sensed your child's magic, she will come for her," Freya warned him. "And she has the power to kill _anyone_ who stands in her way…unless we kill her first."

"It's quite convenient, isn't it? You show up in the nick of time to help us kill the woman with whom you spent a thousand years," Klaus snarled, unmoved by her words.

"You have _no idea_ what it took to escape her," Freya hissed back at him. "Or what I lost in the trying. Her punishment _will_ be profound."

"And you know how to stop her?" Elijah's voice was soft and calm as he walked up to rejoin her and Klaus.

Freya took a deep breath and nodded her head. "Given the proper materials, yes. I've sent Father to procure them."

The mention of Mikael made Klaus's blood boil over. "You put the life of my child in the hands of Mikael," he growled at her. Before she could respond, he turned around and started to walk off.

"Niklaus," Elijah called after him, bringing him to a halt. "This woman has knowledge of the threat we now face and is willing to share that information."

Klaus slowly turned around again but made no move to rejoin them. "Well, you'll excuse me, Elijah, if I'm not inclined to trust the mysterious sister," He motioned at Freya with his hand. "We only just met. But by all means, if you wish to entertain this idiocy, have at it." He vamp-sped away before Elijah could say anything else.

"Thank you," Freya murmured and turned toward Elijah with a grateful smile on her face. "Your kindness is much appreciated.

"I may be willing to accept your identity, Freya, doesn't mean I trust you," Elijah answered in a quiet voice.

"Then I will look forward to earning that trust," Freya replied with confidence. She turned and walked off, leaving Elijah alone with the body that had been Finn's vessel, a witch named Vincent Griffith.

* * *

Cassandra hummed softly as she held Hope against her chest and gently rubbed her back while lightly swaying her upper body. Hope rested her head on top of Cassandra's shoulder and remained quiet, but she did not go to sleep.

"You just want to hang and snuggle with your mama, don'tcha?" Cassandra nussled the top of Hope's head. Her eyes flickered up onto the portrait of her own mother. "I know the feeling, my sweet little one." She turned away before a lump could take shape in her throat and inhaled deeply, enjoying Hope's intoxicating baby scent, and went back to humming softly.

"You're really good with her," Jackson's deep voice made her turn around to find him standing in the nursury doorway.

"Thanks," Cassandra smiled. "I did a lot of baby sitting during summer breaks when I was in junior high and high school. I wish I could get her to go to sleep, but she just wants to snuggle, so snuggle time it is."

"May I?" Jackson held out his arms. Cassandra nodded and allowed him to carefully take Hope into his arms. She stared at him, enamored by his scruffy face, and pressed her tiny hand against his jawline.

Cassandra's eyes sparkled in amusement. Her stomach growled loudly, reminding her of her hunger. Her eyes darted to the table in the bedroom where the plate with the grilled cheese was. She glanced over at Jackson again, and, after seeing how comfortable Hope was with him, she went into the bedrom and picked up the plate. The sandwich was lukewarm at best, but she was too hungry to care. By the time she returned to the bedroom ten steps later, she'd already polished off one of the two halves and took a big bite out of the second as she watched Jackson gently rock Hope.

"Aiden's back," Jackson looked up at her. "That's what I came back in here to tell you. We lost Jerrick."

Cassandra's eyes widened as she swallowed a mouthful of food. "What?" She gasped softly.

"Mikael got him." Jackson told her in a low voice.

"Jackson, I'm so sorry," Cassandra murmured sadly.

"Thing is, we could've lost a whole lot more, but Aiden played it right. Kept them scattered instead of grouped. It was a smart move."

"Well, he learned from you."

Jackson disagreed. "Did he? That's not what I told him to do. My way, it would've all been a slaughter."

Cassandra silently nodded her head. She knew there wasn't much she could say right now to comfort her friend. She finished the rest of the sandwich and set the plate on top of the dresser. She watched intently as Jackson slowly laid Hope down in her crib. She wasn't asleep, but she was content.

"Hey, if you want to go get something else to eat, I can keep an eye on Hope for you," Jackson offered with a friendly smile.

"Actually, I'd kinda love to go grab a shower and freshen up. I've yet to do that since we got back. Thank you."

"Anytime," Jackson gave her a friendly nod.

They quietly left the nursery and went their separate ways, though Jackson didn't stray too far. Cassandra grabbed a clean towel and disappeared into the bathroom. Her instinct was to rush through the entire process, but knew she had no reason to hurry and forced herself to take her time and enjoy the hot water.

When she did finally emerge a little while later, she felt more relaxed. She grabbed her robe from the closet and quickly slipped her arms through the sleeves. As she was tying it closed around her body, she turned her ears to the nursery. She could tell Hope was awake from the sound of her heartbeat, and from the way it was fluttering, she was happy. She quickly picked up on a second, much stronger heartbeat and realized who was in the nursery with her. She rushed over to the door and slowly pushed the door open. She paused in the doorway to take in the sight of Klaus standing beside the crib and gazing down at Hope with a smile so full of joy it made her heart want to burst out of her chest. He turned his head in her direction as she entered the room and walked up to him.

"Still awake," Cassandra murmured softly as she looked down at her daughter.

"She'll sleep when she's ready," Klaus brushed his finger tips lightly against the top of Hope's head.

Cassandra nodded and motioned for Klaus to follow her outside onto the balcony.. She didn't want to talk to him about what had happened in the cemetary around their daughter's infant ears. Klaus walked through the double doors, then turned around and pulled them shut before joining her.

"You'll be pleased to know that Finn is no longer a problem," He spoke in a low, calm voice as he walked up to the balcony rail. "However, there are other dangers on the horizon." He turned back around to face her, his eyes completely serious. "My father is on the lose."

"I know," she murmured. "Jackson told me."

"I need you to use your pack to find them," he went on.

Cassandra shook her head back and forth. "I can't," she whispered.

Klaus stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean you can't? Of course you can."

"No, I can't. We already lost one of the crescents, a good man. I can't…I can't handle loosing anybody else, Klaus. I can't," her voice began to tremble.

He let out a heavy sigh and placed his hands gently on top of her shoulders. "All I need is for the pack to track down his whereabouts. I can handle the rest," he tried to give her some reassurance.

"What part of 'no' are you not getting?" She shrugged his hands away. "I can't…I won't risk any more of their lives. They will help us protect our daughter if he comes. You and Elijah can deal with Mikael. You're the only ones strong enough to match him, and no one knows him better than the two of you."

She turned around and went back inside. With each step she could feel Klaus's intense gaze practically burning a hole in the back of her head. She knew he wasn't happy with her refusual, but it didn't do anything to sway her. Her irritation faded as soon as she walked into the nursery and approached the crib where her daughter lay still awake. She smiled at Hope and scooped her up into her arms.

"Come on, munchkin," she murmured as she held Hope against her chest and carried her into the bedroom. "Time for more snuggles." She walked over to the bed and carefully laid Hope down in the center of the bed before laying down beside her. Both were completely content simply being with each other.

-o-

Klaus sat beside Aiden at a dimly lit bar later later that night with a proposition for the crescent werewolf. As he spoke, Klaus picked up half-drunken bottle of bourbon and replenished his and Aiden's depelated glasses. "You know, for centuries, werewolf alphas have lived as kings of a frightened and cursed people forced to change every month on a full moon. But now," he looked directly at Aiden who was looking away while listening. "Your pack is cured. You can change at will. You are at peace. And yet Jackson takes his leadership for granted. He doesn't see that we live in a new word. Which is precisely why the wolves need a new leader." This sparked Aiden's interest, causing him to turn his head to meet Klaus's eyes. "Someone chosen by the wolves to guide them into a new future. Someone like _you._ I can help you become the leader your pack deserves."

"Yeah," Aiden mumbled softly, an amused smile appearing on his lips. "And what's in it for you?"

"In return, I would only ask that you and your pack swear to protect my daughter and her mother. That is all I will ever ask of you, because that is all that matters to me," Klaus answered. Aiden stared at him, momentarily stunned by his response. "You can let me know when you're ready," Klaus decided to give him some time to think it over. "But do bear in mind that time is forever ticking forward. Which means that tomorrow," he lightly tapped the glass face of Aiden's wristwatch with his fingertip. "Is already here."


	44. To Trust A Mikaelson

**No, you're not dreaming. It's true. I'm back! Hey guys! I hope you are all doing well. It's been a busy couple of months, but things should be calming down a little now. I can't believe the two year anniversary of when I first began this insane sequal came this month (on the 9th.) What an amazing two years it has been. So, this chapter has the big moment you've all been waiting for. That's right, the fallout between Cassandra and Caroline will finally be dealt with. I'm going to be honest with all of you, one of the reasons it took me so long to get this chapter out is because of the big scene between these two sisters. In my first draft, I had it going in a certain direction, but after seeing all of the comments from you guys, I realized that I needed to make some changes, and I have. I hope that it will, at the very least, be accepted, but any differences of opinion are completely okay, too. Okay, I've rambled enough. I'm going to leave you all to read this long and over due beast. Thank you, as always, for your kind words and your incredible patience with me. You all are the best!**

* * *

 **Chapter 44 - To Trust A Mikaelson**

"There you are, finally," Klaus exhaled dramatically as Elijah entered the lavish dining room in the compound and removed his coat before handing it to an obdient server who hung it up on a nearby coat rack. Klaus had his hands clasped together and his arms resting on the top of one of the dining chairs while anxiously waiting for his older brother's arrival. He had orchestrated a brunch which he'd invited their newly discovered sister, Freya, to so that he would be able to figure her out on his terms.

"I was delayed," Elijah answered simply. He had paid a visit to Marcel's loft in Algiers where Rebekah was currently staying while she pieced together her new body's former identity from the files Elijah had procurred from Josephine LaRue. When he'd arrived, he had found a sizable group of people congregating outside. Some were vampires there to protect the loft, others were witches, among those Josephine. And they were angry, accusing Marcel of harboring a killer, a witch named Eva Sinclar.

It was partially true. Rebekah had inhabited Eva's body and learned of Eva's horrible deeds the night before from the files Elijah had obtained. The witches believed she was responsible for the attacks on two of their children the previous night, leaving one dead and the other missing. Elijah had to politely explain the situation to the witches and get them to stand down and leave, which he did. But now, Josephine's final warning echoed in his mind: 'Witches will stop at nothing to protect their children. That's an impulse I know you can respect.'

"Our guest of honor will be here momentarily," Klaus told his brother.

"Strange. The house is conspicuously absent of our lupine guests," Elijah mused as he glanced at the dining table. "I do hope it wasn't on my account."

An amused grin tugged at Klaus's lips. "I sent Cassandra off with Hayley and her poorly groomed husband to spend the day with their werewolf brethren to test the limits of their new abilities," He made his way around the table and past Elijah to the doorway where he kept watch for Freya. "Leaving me to deal with family business as I see fit."

"Niklaus," Elijah's voice prompted Klaus to spin around to face him. "Rebekah's situation has taken a turn. We may need Freya's assistance, so whatever you are planning here," he lowered his voice. "Don't."

"All I'm planning is a simple chat with a long-lost relative," Klaus answered innocently as he walked back over to the table and rested his arms on top of one of the chairs. "You yourself said to hear her out."

"And you yourself said that would be idiocy," Elijah reminded him.

"Did I?" Klaus glanced up, feigning ignorance to having said such a thing. "Well, that does sound like me. Regardless," he waved his hand. "On the off-chance Freya has some information that could protect my daughter, I prefer she share it on my terms." He straighed up and began to move around the table again. "Ah," he smiled and held up a finger. "I think I hear her now. Sister," he turned around to greet Freya as she walked into the room with a smile on her face. Klaus walked forward to greet her. "Well, come in, come in. Make yourself comfortable."

Freya stepped farther into the dining room and casually glanced around. Her eyes landed on a small table nestled against the wall where a small, round artifact lay. She reached down and picked it up.

"This witch hoop," she flipped it around in her hands. "It's danish. Is it from when you all lived in Copenhagen in the 1500s?" She glanced up at Klaus and Elijah with a smile.

"Quite the eye," Klaus murmred, impressed.

"Forgive me, are we here to discuss family heirlooms, or do we have more pressing concerns?" Elijah asked in a soft, impatient voice.

Klaus turned and walked over to the chair at the head of the table "Please excuse my brother's lack of decorm. He's been in a foul mood of late. But he is right. I did ask you here in the hopes that you would share some of Dahlia's secrets. So without further ado, let's get to it."

Freya nodded and took the seat to Klaus's right, while he sat down at the head of the able. Elijah remained standing on the opposite side of the table, across from Freya. She gently cleared her throat before speaking.

"The first thing you should know," she began. "Is that Dahlia is the most powerful witch I have ever seen. She craves more power still. Right now, she is like me, limited to one year of life in a century. But she wants to be free of that restriction to gain true immortality. And that is why she will come here," she glanced over at Klaus. "Drawn by your daughter to take the child's power for herself. She will kill anyone who would defy her."

"And yet you would defy her?" Elijah whispered as he slowly sat down.

"I don't have a choice. She will never let me be free," Freya answered. "My one chance is to align with you and kill her."

"Well," Klaus raised his eyebrows as he leaned back. "Now that we're all suitably motivated, let's talk specifics."

"For you to understand," Freya paused and took a deep breath before meeting Klaus and Elijah's eyes. "I need to start from the beginning. After taking me from my family, Dahlia used me to forge a new brand of connective magic. One that augmented my power even as it allowed her to draw from me. Once we were bonded, Dahlia became unstoppable. She wasted no time in proving her might. The chief of a nearby village threatened to run us off, accusing Dahlia of witchcraft. She decided to make an example out of the entire encampent. Men, women, children, she killed them all with a wave of her hand. That was my first inkling of the power that Dahlia had. Over the course of a thousand years, she's only grown stronger. And she will bring all her power to bare against you when she comes for your child."

Klaus stared at her in terror and disbelief as the weight of her words slowly sunk in. Before he could say anything in response, Elijah's cell phone began to ring. Elijah let out a breath as he reached inside his suit jacket for his phone and pulled it out.

"Excuse me," he muttered, his eyes darting from Klaus to Freya before he stood up to take the call, turning his back to the table. "Rebekah, how are you feeling?" He whispered into the phone.

"As if I walked straight into a brick wall," Rebekah answered. "Any luck with Freya?"

"Luck is not the word that I would use," he causally glanced over his shoulder in Freya's direction. "You should be here."

"Fine. I'm on my way now," Rebekah told him before ending the call.

* * *

Cassandra slowly brought the steamy mug of coffee she held in her hands up to her mouth, taking a long sip as she sat in an old, wooden chair inside the very shack Tyler had brought her to over a year ago. She gazed at the Pack 'n Play where her daughter sat holding a stuffed bear and smiled. She'd felt a little uneasy when they'd first arrived, her mind instantly filled with flashbacks from her first visit, but the feeling quickly passed the moment she entered the small shack and found it had been cleaned up and made to be more hospitable. It didn't look anything like in her memory which made all the difference.

"Guess I'd better go check on the boys," Hayley sighed and headed outside, her own mug in her hand.

Cassandra nodded and watched her leave before turning her sight back to her daughter. She tucked her hair behind her ear and listened to the voices of Jackson and Aiden as they sparred outside in front of Jackson's trailer.

"Keep your head up," Jackson bellowed in a grizzly voice, giving Aiden some pointers. "Low center. Guard your face."

A few more punches were thrown before Jackson yelled loudly in pain. "AHHH! Ow. What the hell!"

"You left yourself wide open," Aiden told him.

Aiden must have bitten him, Cassandra shook her head.

"It was your idea to come out here and spar," Jackson pointed out. "I'm doing this for you."

"Oh, for me?" Aiden sounded like he didn't completely believe this. "You're the one leading a pack of super wolves. How long before they decide they don't wanna take orders from you anymore? Huh? Because the only way you can stay alpha is by always staying the strongest."

"You guys done?" Hayley called out to them. "This macho stuff is cute and all, but don't make me come out there and kick both your asses."

 _Ha! That I'd totally pay to see!_ Cassandra chuckled to herself. A few secods later, the door to the shack opened and Hayley came back inside. Cassandra started to open her mouth to say something when her phone rang from inside the pocket of her jacket. She reached inside for it and took it out. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Caroline's name flashing on the screen. Her thumb hovered over the 'answer' button while a slew of different motions coursed through her—relief and happiness, but there was also some anger she didn't expect. Letting out a big breath of air, she finally tapped the screen to answer the call and brought her phone up to her ear.

"Caroline?" She whispered in an a cautious voice.

"Hey Cass," Caroline murmured back. There was a long beat of awkward silence before she spoke again. "I wasn't sure you would take my call. How...how are you?"

"I'm…coping, I guess." Cassandra answered. "And you?"

"I'm back home in Mystic Falls. Bonnie and Elania said to say hi. They told me what happened with you while I was away. Cass I…I can't even begin to—" Caroline stopped and let out a breath of air. "I'll never be able to stop telling you how sorry I am for roping you into my no-humanity drama and for threating to harm my niece to get you to turn off yours.

"Carloline—" Cassandra started to speak, but Caroline stopped her.

"Please. Just let me finish before I lose my nerve." She waited a beat, and when Cassandra remained silent, she continued. "I am not asking for you to forgive me. I know I wouldn't forgive me if I was the one in your shoes. I don't deserve it. Maybe one day I'll earn it, but not any time soon. I just needed you to know that. And that I love you. And Hope. Okay, now I'm finished," she let out a shaky breath.

Cassandra sighed while she processed Caroline's apology. "I'm not really sure what you want me to say, Care. I mean, you're not wrong. You don't deserve my forgiveness for threatening to kill my daughter. But that is not how mom raised us. I know she would want me to find a way to forgive you. I'll need time, though."

"I guess it's a good thing we have a few states between us right now, huh? The distance will actually be a good thing right now."

"Yeah, definitely a good thing. I am glad you called, though. Despite everything else, it's nice finally hear your voice."

"I wasn't sure you would answer. I'm glad you did."

"Me too."

"So," Cassandra tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I suppose now's as good a time as any to address the perverbial elephant in the room."

"The elephant named Stefan?" Caroline asked.

"Yep. That one."

"Or we could just put it in the 'Do Not Discuss' pile."

"Kinda like a 'what-happens-in-vegas-stays-in-vegas' type thing?"

"Exactly."

"If you are okay with that, then so am I," Cassandra felt a wave of relief wash over her.

"Good," Caroline was in agreement. "So, how are things down there in the Crescent City?"

Cassandra quickly filled Caroline in on what was going on with the Dahlia situation and the long-lost Mikaelson sibling. "I was none to happy to grab Hope and head out here to the Bayou while Klaus and Elijah chat up their new sister."

"I can't believe there's another one. And she wants to help you kill their aunt?" Caroline asked.

"So she says. I don't trust her. Neither does Klaus."

"Considering your track record with Mikaelson witches, I completely understand. But, and not to play devil's advocate, why would she lie about wanting to help take down Dahlia? I mean, what would she benefit from it?"

"I have no idea. That's what Klaus and Elijah intend to find out."

"Well, keep me posted. In the mean time," Caroline paused dramatically, "I have a wedding to finish planning?"

"Wait, what?" Cassandra sat up straighter. "Wedding? Whose wedding?"

"Alaric's," Caroline chirpped happily. "It's today, actually. I returned to town just in the nick of time."

"Woah! Alaric's getting married? That's fantastic!" Cassandra smiled at the news.

"He and his fiance are expecting, too. Twins. Which, considering his fiance is…was…a gemini witch, makes perfect sense."

"Oh wow. I wish I could be there. Tell him congratulations for me. He's gonna make a great father," Cassandra's heart swelled at the thought.

"Believe me, I wish you could be here too, but you're exactly where you need to be. And I will."

"Send me pictures of the happy couple, too."

"I will! Oh, have you talked to Tyler recently? He and Matt enrolled in the Police Academy!" Caroline told her.

Cassandra's eyes widened. "Tyler and Matt did what? No, he never told me."

"Yep," Caroline popped the 'p' sound at the end of the word. "I'm not entirely sure it's a smart move on Tyler's part with his untriggered werewolf gene tempermant, but I'm not in a position to tell him not to do it. Who knows? Maybe it'll be what he needs to learn control."

"Or it'll be a good outlet to release that excess wolfy energy. Either way, I'm definitely going to have to talk to him about it one of these days." Cassandra gave a slight shake of her head. She stole a glance over at the Pack 'N Play and found Hope happily looking back at her as she slobbered all over her teddy bear. "Well," she smiled back at her daughter. "It's just about time to give Hope her bottle so I should probably go."

They said their goodbyes and I love you's before hanging up. Cassandra took a beat to reign in her emotions before standing to her feet. She walked over to the small, wooden table where she'd left the diaper bag and took out a bottle and cannister of baby forumula.

"So," she cast a glance at Hayley as she began to prepare the bottle. "Do I want to know what was going on outside between Aiden and Jackson? Sounded like someone took a cheap shot."

The fact that Cassandra had been listening made Hayley smile. "Pretty much," she nodded. "Just guys with super strength being, well, guys."

"Should we be worried?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows slightly as added water to the baby bottle and twisted the lid on before vigorously shaking it.

Hayley shook her head. "Nah. Jack's got a good head on his shoulders. He'll be fine."

Cassandra nodded and walked over to the Pack 'N play. As soon as Hope saw her, she began to squeal in delight. Cassandra scooped her up into her arms and lowered the bottle. Hope eagerly latched onto it and began to drink. "I hope you're right," Cassandra murmured, gazing down at her daughter.

* * *

"Your stories are fascinating. And Dahlia does indeed sound dreadful, but Elijah and I have killed our fair share of evil witches," Klaus smirked at Freya. They were still seated at the dining table with Elijah, waiting for Rebekah to arrive. The extravagent meal laid out before them remained untouched.

"Not like her," Freya muttered softly.

"What are her weaknesses?" Elijah wanted to know. He maintained eye contact with her as he brought a mug of coffee up to his lips and took a drink.

"She's paranoid, obsessed with power. She hungers constantly for what's been denied her, be it love or revenge," Freya answered.

"Yes, I think I'm familiar with the type," Elijah replied in a light tone. He cast a knowing glance over at Klaus who simply wore a smirk on his face.

"When I was a child," Freya went on. "She would tell me tales of her own youth, of being victimized by those stronger than her. Dahlia vowed never to be weak again. She bargained for the firstborn of Esther's bloodline, intending to raise us in her own image, forming a coven of her own from which she could draw endless power. That plan was foiled the day she learned that Esther had ended her bloodline by turning her children into vampires."

She paused and glanced from Elijah to Klaus. Klaus shook his head and licked his lips, intending to say something, but she cut him off before he could speak. "And so the burden fell to me. Dahlia demanded I bear the firstborn that would add to her power. But I would not allow a child of mine to live as I did," her eyes began to fill with tears. "As a slave. So I vowed never to love. Never to have a child of my own." She closed her eyes momentarily, causing a tear to roll down her cheek. When she opened them again, she kept her sight focused on the table. "Of course, the more I resisted, the harder Dahlia fought to control me, til the day when she took the last of what little freedom I had left."

It was the day Dahlia had cast her spell, cursing herself and Freya to sleep, only waking for one year at a time each century. As they slept, their magic would accrue over time. When they would wake for their one year of life, they would be filled with immense power.

"That has been the existence I have suffered for the last ten centuries," she finished.

Klaus let out a chuckle, amused by her sad tale. "It's quite an ordeal, isn't it? But it does beg the question," he grew serious. "Why not end it yourself?" Elijah leaned back in his chair and started to shake his head in dismay at his brother's question, but it went unnoticed by Klaus. "A high enough bridge, a tight enough noose. You must have considered it."

Freya closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "Long ago, I did consider it," she looked up at him. "But Dahlia would never give me even that freedom." This came as a surpise to Klaus. "I would later learn the spell made me like her, immortal and impervious to harm." She wiped the tears from her glossy, red eyes and looked up at her brothers. "So, you see, I am like you. A creature of great power, cursed for all time."

* * *

Once Cassandra had gotten Hope down for her nap, Jackson coaxed her outside to help her with her sparing. She was tentative and unsure of herself with her first few punches, but after going at it for a little while, her confidence grew. Hayley stood nearby, giving her tips about footing and blocking. Eventually, she and Jackson fell into a good rhythem. She'd take swinging punch with one hand which he would block, then quickly follow up using the opposite hand. He'd throw a punch back at her and she would block it with her arms or duck under it.

After taking a particularly big swing at him, which he ducked under, she quickly bent the same arm and tried to use her elbow to get a second hit in, but he blocked it with his hands. She tried to swing her arm around again and grab him by the back of the neck, but he blocked her and spun her around one hundred and eighty degrees. She swung at him again, and again he blocked her and pushed her arm away with a loud grunt, then lowered his arms to his sides.

Cassandra dropped her arms and tilted her head slightly as she eyed him curiously. "You still thinking about what Aiden said?"

"He was just trying to help," Jackson answered as he caught his breath. "Being alpha is an honor. You know, it's one you have to earn every day, and I— " He stopped and turned toward his trailer. Cassandra followed, walking beside him until they came to a stop beside a small, wooden table where Hayley had set down a couple of glasses filled with water. "The pack is changing. We're gonna face some challenges. I just want them to know that I'm here to lead for them." He paused long enough for Hayley to hand him one of the glasses and Cassandra the other. "That I put them first."

Cassandra took a big gulp of water and turned around to lean against the corner of the table. Jackson followed and turned around to sit beside her, while Hayley side-stepped so she was next to him. "Look, the pack loves you, Jackson. You just have to remind them of that," Cassandra told him in a gentle voice.

"Buy them around of beers, turn on that backwoods bayou charm. Worked on me," Hayley added with a smile. Her words did their job, prompting Jackson to sprout a wide grin.

He laughed for a second before lowering his voice. "What about our…other problem," he asked in a deep voice and eyed Cassandra with raised eyebrows.

"You mean Klaus," Cassandra realized with a sigh.

Jackson slowly nodded his head. "Klaus acts like we're his personal army. I know you trust him Cassandra, but I don't."

"Trust me, then. Okay? I can handle Klaus," Cassandra tried to reassure him. She set her glass down behind her and reached for his and Hayley's hands, clutching them in hers. "We're a team, right? I mean, I know you two are married now which makes you both your own special team, but as far as the pack goes, we're a team. The three of us, we united the pack together."

Hayley smiled at Cassandra, then turned to Jackson. "Are things changing? Yes. But one of those changes is that we no longer have to go through this alone. We have the pack, Cassandra included. And," she reached for his other hand and intertwined their fingers. "We have each other."

Jackson smiled and let go of Cassandra's hand so that he could caress Hayley's cheek. Cassandra smiled to herself and looked away as he leaned in and kissed his wife, wanting to allow them to share the special moment. She reached behind her back for her glass and brought it up to her lips for another drink. It appeared, at least for the time being, that she and Hayley had gotten through to the Crescent alpha. She only hoped she'd be able to do the same with Klaus once she returned to the compound.

* * *

"It was this witch. Eva. The nasty little cow is inside me, trying to bust her way out," Rebekah huffed as she paced around the upstairs parlor while explaining to Klaus and Elijah what was going on. She'd been to see Davina in Lafayette Cemetary to get her help with whatever was going on with her. Davina had access to all of Kol's witchcraft books and materials he'd collected over the centuries. Elijah called, wanting to find out when Rebekah would be joining him and Klaus at the compound. She left Davina to see what she could find and told Elijah she was her way. That's when she blacked out.

When she woke some time later, Rebekah found herself in an unknown warehouse district with no idea how she came to be there. Eventually she made it back to the compound where she was led up stairs by her brothers for a private conversation about what was going on with the body she currently possessed.

"Freya is downstairs," Elijah turned toward Klaus who was pondering the situation. "Perhaps—"

"Have you lost your mind?" Klaus motioned at Elijah with his hand. "Tell me we're not considering opening our sister's head to someone we barely know!"

"Nik, for God's sake, she is our sister!" Rebekah hissed in frustration. "I've known her since she saved me from the Fauline Cottage."

"An act, no doubt, meant to secure your trust, perhaps for this very moment, to strike when we are vulnerable," Klaus growled back. Rebekah scowled at him, but he continued to shake his head. "No. We've no way to prove that anything she's said today is true."

"Niklaus I understand your concern," Elijah spoke in a calm, but firm voice. "Both of us are powerless to help our sister. Now, either we leave Rebekah to suffer or we place our faith in the hands of someone I believe to be our blood." He stepped toward Klaus, looking him in the eyes. Klaus stared back at him, clearly put off by what he was hearing. "Right now, I'm inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to family."

Before Klaus could protest, Elijah turned around and walked out of the room. A couple of minutes later, he returned with Freya and led her into the parlor. Freya grinned from ear to ear as she lay eyes on her sister.

"Rebekah," she walked over to the couch where Rebekah had taken a seat. Rebekah stood up to great her. "It's good to see you again." She extended her hands which Rebekah eagerly took.

"And you," Rebekah smiled and gave her hands a small squeeze. "Though I'd prefer better circumstances."

They both took a seat on the couch. "You needn't worry," Freya reassured her. "Elijah explained the problem. And I can help."

"Rather confident, aren't we?" Klaus muttered from the other side of the room, causing Freya to spin her head around toward him. He sat at the bar with his feet propped up on the table top and a glass of bourban in his hand. When he made no move to acknowledge her, Freya simply shook her head and turned back around to Rebekah.

"The spirit of the host body is powerful, but I can cast a spell. Put you," she carressed Rebekah's cheek. "In a deep sleep, and then suppress this other essence. You'll be just fine."

"Lovely," Rebekah let out a relieved breath. "When do we start?"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Klaus tilted his head back and let out a groan. "She spouts off some magical diagnosis and we are all supposed to applaud."

"Nik, she's trying to help," Rebekah reasoned with him.

Klaus set his glass down and dropped his feet to the floor before angling his body toward the couch. "Yes, but for the sake of keeping our options open," he held up his hands. "Why not write down your spells and incantations? That way we can have them double-checked by an impartial third party. Say, Davina. She'd love to prove me wrong."

"I doubt she would understand my magic, let alone have the power to execute it," Freya murmured, shaking her head.

"Oh," Klaus rolled his eyes. "So you're our only hope, then. Seems rather convenient, doesn't it?"

Rebekah let out a frustrated sigh while Freya stared at her brother, hurt and dissppointment reflected in her eyes. "I knew it would be difficult to win your trust, Niklaus. Your reputation precedes you." Klaus could not conciel the tiny smile that flashed upon his face. Freya stood up and made her way over to him. "But if we are to face Dahlia together, you will have to trust me. Given the peril Rebekah now faces, are you truly incapable of giving me even a chance to prove myself?" Klaus remained silent and turned his head back toward the bar, so Freya shifted her attention over to Rebekah and Elijah.

"I know I appear as an outsider, but I have dreampt of you all for a thousand years," she paused as Rebekah and Elijah stole a glance at each other before looking at her. "Elijah, when you were in Esther's womb, she would ask me to sing to you," Freya took a few steps towards him, smiling as she told him about her memory. "I would feel her belly as I did. How you would kick. She would say it was if Thor himself had raised his hammer—"

"And summoned thunder and lightning," Elijah finished, having heard the story directly from Esther himself. His lips curled into a smile for now he knew without a doubt she was who she claimed to be. "Mother rarely mentioned you, but when she did, she would say how enchanted you were with the prospect of my birth," he stepped closer to her.

"How I wanted more brothers. And a sister," Freya glanced over at Rebekah who smiled back at her. "More than anything. But between Esther and Dahlia, that wish was taken from me. I was ruined by those who raised me. If nothing else," she looked over at Klaus. "At least we have that in common." When he kept his back to her and silently scoweled at the bar top, she sighed and turned back to Elijah and Rebekah. "There is nothing that can replace what was taken from us, but I hope we can make something better in it's place. All you have to do is trust me."

Elijah gave her a tiny smile, but before he or anyone else could say anything Klaus whooshed over to Freya and grabbed her from behind, breaking her neck with a loud crack.

"Nik!" Rebekah shouted, jumping to her feet.

"Well, that's enough of that, don't you think?" Klaus smirked and let Freya's limp body flop onto the ground. "Right. Now we can have a proper family meeting."

Rebekah knelt down to examine Freya's body and scoffed as she glanced up at Klaus. "Was that absolutely necessary?"

"Oh, please. She was insufferable!" Klaus retored.

Elijah pointed a finger at Klaus. "That was ridiculous, even for you," he chastised his brother.

"You've only just met her," Klaus continued to defend his own actions. "Let's not get sentimental. Besides, if she was telling the truth about being immortal, she'll awaken shortly. If she was lying, good riddance," he smirked.

"Yes. Of course, if she wakes, she'll be willing to help us with unbridled enthusiasm," Elijah's voice was oozing with sarcasm.

Klaus wouldn't let up. "She played you both for fools. Can you not see that? She spins a sad yarn about a small child taken by an evil witch, and you both fall over yourselves to mend what's broken."

"How can you be so certain?" Rebekah challenged him.

"Simple. It's exactly what I'd do," Klaus answered. Elijah shook his head and knelt down to check on Freya. "My only question now is what's in it for her?"

"Whatever the truth may be, she's in no position to help us now," Elijah muttered softly.

Rebekah had a suggestion. "Well, then we should try Marcel. Perhaps he's had luck on his end. Surely he's put in a better effort," she hissed the last part at Klaus before walking out of the room Elijah watched her leave, then stood up and began to follow after her.

"You know I'm right, Elijah," Klaus called out to him, stopping him before he was out of the room and forcing him to turn back around. "We can't have an alliance with someone we can't trust."

"If you don't trust her, then that is your choice," Elijah spoke in a low, no-nonsense voice. "I can only hope that choice comes from a place of reason. Not fear." He turned on his heal and walked out of the room, leaving Klaus to think about his words.

Klaus thought about everything for all of five minutes before deciding not to change where his mind was set. He scooped up Freya's body and vamp-sped out of the compound. He did not stop until he reached the bell tower of the St. Louis Cathedral. Once he was inside, he set her body on the ground and went around the small room, lighting candles so they wouldn't be swallowed by darkness when the sun set. Then, he grabbed a rickety wooden chair, sat down, and waited until Freya woke with a loud gasp some time later.

"Ah, you're awake," he called out lightly as she sat up. "Well, clearly your restorative powers are not renowned for their speed," he flashed her an amused grin.

"You dare lay your hands on me?" Freya growled furiously at him as she rose to her feet.

"Immortality is a bold claim. I had to make sure you're telling the truth," Klaus told her.

Freya brushed herself off as she tried to catch her breath and glared at him. "Why did you bring me here?"

Klaus rose to his feet and walked around the chair he'd been seated in until he was directly behind it. "I couldn't very well have you stay in my home. That honor is something I reserve for those I consider family."

"So you refuse me as your sister?" Freya was visibly upset. Her eyes glistened with tears.

"Well, you had a lovely audition. It just didn't seem to be the right fit," Klaus smiled in amusement.

Freya walked toward him. "I think Elijah felt otherwise. Rebekah too."

"Yes, you did a fine job convincing them with all your melodramtic tales. However, I suspect you were not entirely forthcoming. The truth is, Elijah and Rebekah can be a bit naïve when it comes to family relations. Case in point," he held his arms out and smirked. "There unending faith in me." He began to pace around, moving past her. "I repay that loyalty by guarding them against treachery they cannot see."

He stopped and slowly turned around to face her. "And I sense that you are treacherous indeed. You wish to worm your way into my family. I want to know why. So, sister, I'm going to give you one last chance to tell the full truth. I suggest you don't muck it up."

Freya gave him a long, hard stare, then slowly turned toward the table and looked up on the lit candles as she collected her thoughts. "You wanna know why I hate Dahlia?" She murmured in a low voice, keeping her eye fixed on the table. "It goes back to a man. His name was Mathias. We knew each other for one perfect year in the early 1400's. I loved him more than my own life." She finally looked over at Klaus. "And Dahlia allowed me to love him."

"Of course," Klaus nodded. "She wanted you to bear her another first born."

"I broke my vow and gave in to love, and that led to the darkest moment of my life," Freya's voice began to tremble. "The day when I tried to steal from Dahlia that which she wanted most."

"And what precisely was that?" Klaus asked.

Freya took a breath as fresh tears started to fall down her cheeks. "My son. Mathias only wanted our child to be born free. For that, Dahlia cursed him to death. I knew I'd never be free of her, that my child would be born a slave. To spare us both from the horrors of the life I had known, I took a bottle of Dahlia's strongest poison. I wanted to die. For only death could finally give me the release I'd longed for." She turned back to the candles. "But Dahlia knew that my death was never an option. That was the day I learned that I could never die," there was a fierce anger deep within her that oozed out in her voice. While she may have been immortal, her baby wasn't. When she awoke a little while after taking the poision, Dahlia was quick to reveal this painful truth to her. Upon hearing this, Klaus was momentarly rendered speechless.

"It was Dahlia who made me do what I did. She turned me into a monster, and I will destroy her for it. Tell me, brother," She turned her head toward him, her eyes red with tears and full of hurt and anger. "Is that the truth you wanted to hear?"

Klaus pushed down the emotions that began to swirl inside of him. "Whether I believe you or not is no matter. You told that tale in order to garner my sympathy, thinking the shared plight of a child in danger would bond us. But I will not be manipulated."

Freya scowled at his unwillingness to accept her. "Whatever you choose," she walked up to him. "One final truth remains. Dahlia is coming for us. With me, you have a chance to defeat her. Without me, she will take your daughter and make her a slave. She will suffer as I had, never knowing her mother and father because Dahlia will have rendered you into ash."

"Are you quite finished?" Klaus growled in a low voice. "If there is to be an alliance between us, it will be one of my design. And if you ever try to control me again," he hissed, stepping forward and closing the distance between them until he was directly in front of her. "Sister, you will spend the rest of your immortal life regretting it."

"Then leave," Freya hissed back, uneffected by his threat. "I already have Rebekah and Elijah's trust, and I'm not going anywhere. But if I were you, brother, I'd rethink your alliances as you go forward."

Klaus sneered at her, but she remained uneffected and unintimidated by him. Her skin was much, much thicker than he anticipated. It did not, however, cause him to waver in any way when it came to his beliefs about everything Freya had told him. After giving her a particularly long and icy stare, he silently turned around and walked out of the tower.

* * *

Cassandra held her breath as she slowly pulled the door to the nursery closed as quietly as she could and let it out once she'd succeeded. She hadn't anticipated being in the Bayou all day but was grateful for the drive back to the French Quarter because it lulled her daughter to sleep. She was surprised to find the compound empty when she arrived and wondered where Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah were. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and started to walk down the hallway when the sound of familiar footsteps entering the courtyard stopped her in her tracks.

She turned around and headed in the opposite direction toward the courtyard until she reached the balcony. She walked up to the railing and rested her hands on top of it as she looked down at Klaus who stood in front of the bar. He removed the lid to a crystal decanter and poured himself a glass of bourbon. Uh oh, Cassandra stared at him. She could tell by his demeanor that he wasn't in the best of moods. She would have to play her cards just right for this conversation to go the way she wanted it to.

She took a deep breath before calling out to him with a smile on her face. "Hey. Where'd you disappear to?"

He brought his glass to lips and took a sip before turning his head toward her. "Had to run an errand. Nothing you need to worry about, love," he gave her a small smile in return. She didn't buy it for a minute, but she wasn't about to press him on it. She had more important things to discuss with him.

"Okay," she nodded and quickly made her way down the stairs to join him. "So," she folded her arms comfortably across her chest once she was standing beside him. "How'd it go with Freya? Did you learn anything?"

"Oh, she had much to tell us. It's whether or not she's being completely truthful that I have yet to determine," he murmured in a soft voice. "How were things in the Bayou?"

"Good, I guess. I worked on some sparring with Jackson and Hayley. I'm getting better. Faster," she was proud of her progress.

"That's good," Klaus nodded his head in approval.

"Yeah," she nodded back. She knew if she was going to say something to him about giving the pack some space, it needed to be in that next moment, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She chewed the corner of her lip for a moment as she came to the decision to wait until the following day, then let out a soft breath. "Well, I think I'm going to go grab a hot shower and go to bed. Goodnight."

She turned on her heal and started to walk past Klaus to the stairs. "Wait," he gently grabbed her arm to stop her and spun her back to face him. He narrowed his eyes. "You're holding something back. What is it?"

Her eyes widened ever so slightly. "What makes you think that?" She tried to keep her voice calm and even.

"Because I know how to read you. Now out with it, love."

"But I'm not—" She stopped when he raised his eyebrows at her, letting her know she was destined to lose if she decided to challenge his claim. "Fine," she sighed in defeat. She took a deep breath and slowly met his gaze. "All this tension with you, Jackson, and the wolves, we need to put it behind us. Give Jackson the space he needs to run the pack as he see's fit. No more orders, no more favors. He's alpha. Period."

Klaus let go of Cassandra's arm and started to laugh at the absurdity of her request. "Sorry. Did you really think I would ever agree," his laughing stopped and his voice grew serious. "To let Jackson control the wolves?"

Cassandra glared at him. "You will show him respect, Klaus. He is on our side, and he's fighting for our daughter."

"You know," he set his glass down on the bar top. "I've spent all day with people who claim to be fighting for our daughter. Some I trust, some I do not. But one thing is for sure—that there are only two people that I trust when it comes to our child's safety, that that would be you and me. If Dahlia is coming, then she is a threat to our child which means we alone decide how to protect her. No one else!"

"But we're not alone in this, Klaus!" Cassandra yelled back. "Elijah, Rebekah, Jackson and Hayley, they all want to help us protect our little girl."

"Oh, they will," Klaus hissed back. "And if any of them stray from the course that we set, then they will answer to me. Your friends Jackson and Hayley would do especially well to remember that. In fact, I think I'll leave it to you to remind them." He reached for his glass and downed the rest of the brown liquid inside before setting it back down and stalking off before Cassandra could say anything else.

-o-

Klaus stood in the doorway of Elijah's giant bedroom suite, watching as he hung up a black suit jacket in the open closet. He folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe, waiting to see just how long it would take for Elijah to notice his precense. He did not have to wait long.

"Can I help you, Niklaus?" Elijah called out to him without turning around. He adjusted the rack of suits, making sure nothing was out of place, then closed the door to the closet.

"I thought you might like to know I was moved by what you said about my decision not to trust our long-lost sister," Klaus stepped into the room. He watched as Elijah moved over to a small, circular table near a large window where a few candles had been set up on a three-tiered candelabra and pulled out a small box of matches from his pocket to use to light them. "So, I waited until she revived, and we had quite a chat."

"And your position remains unchanged," Elijah deduced as he pulled out a match and struck it against the side of the box to ignite it, then held it to each of the candles. Once they were lit, he blew out the match.

"I looked in her eyes and I saw only anger and fear. The will to do whatever it takes to survive, no matter who she hurts. I can use her to my own ends, but I could never allow so damaged a creature to have a say in my plans," Klaus walked over to the window and stopped in front of it.

Elijah carried the candleabra over to the dresser. "You may not trust her," he set it down and looked over Klaus who had spun around toward him at the sound of his voice. "But trust me, brother. We may have had our differences of late, but we shall exercise the same caution we have always demonstrated toward our allies."

"Fine," Klaus sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'll let you pursue it. But should Freya betray us—"

"If Freya should even attempt to betray us, I shall bury her beneath a thousand wretched torments," Elijah jumped in.

"I don't doubt it," Klaus believed him. "But what if you're too late?" Elijah turned away and let out a heavy sigh as Klaus began to walk toward him while he continued to make his point known. "What if Freya is duplicitous? What if Hope should be harmed through her actions? You won't have to worry that I will never forgive you, or Cassandra for that matter, because you will never forgive yourself." He stopped beside Elijah who busied himself with taking off his suit jacket. "You will suffer a guilt that will be impossible to endure," he reached over and took the jacket out of Elijah's hands, forcing Elijah to look at him. "A terrible fate for one who cannot die."

"Nothing will happen to that child," Elijah muttered in a low, intense voice. "But we have to consider every weapon at our disposal, brother. Dahlia is coming. The only question is when?"


	45. Rebekah's Identity Crisis

**I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Years holiday! Enjoy this next rather lengthy chapter!**

* * *

 **Rebekah's Identity Crisis**

Cassandra stood in front of one of the open windows in the parlor, sipping a glass of bourbon while she gazed down at the dimly lit streets below. She wasn't quite ready to turn in for the night. Her mind was still replaying the argument she'd had with Klaus earlier that night. She heard Hope cry out loudly from the nursery and sighed as she slowly turned around. She quickly downed the rest of the liquid in her glass and set it on top of the coffee table before leaving the room. She made her way down the hall to her and Klaus's room and over to the open nursery door. She was a foot away when the first whiff of blood floated past her nose. Upon entering the nursery, the first thing she noticed was the crescent wolf Jackson had assigned to stand guard in the hall outside the nursery was lying on the floor dead, his eyes wide open and a bloody gash on his face. The second thing she noticed was Rebekah standing next to the crib, staring down at Hope. It took her a split second to realize exactly what was going on.

"Get away from her!" Cassandra yelled, flashing her hybrid face at Rebekah, though she knew it was really Eva who was currently in control of her body. She ran forward and reached for Eva's arm, pulling her back and slamming her head against the dresser. Eva let out a grunt as she fell to the floor. Cassandra moved around her and approached the crib, intending to scoop up Hope and run, but Eva was quick to stand back up and let out a growl as she raised her hands and telekinetically sent Cassandra flying backwards into her bedroom and over her bed. Cassandra tried to grab onto the comforter but failed and went crashing into the nightstand before landing on the floor.

Having heard her yells and the commotion that followed, Klaus came charging into the room. "Rebekah, what are you doing?" He roared.

Before he could completely reach her, Eva turned toward him and raised her hands, casting a pain infliction spell on him. He yelled loudly as he clutched the sides of his hand and sunk down to his knees. Cassandra came racing back into the nursery, but Eva was quick to stop her, casting a second spell to choke her. Cassandra fell to her knees and began cough as she struggled to breath.

"Ahhh!" Klaus yelled, leaning forward through the pain and taking a massive swipe at Eva's thigh with his hybrid claws, giving her a series of deep gashes. Eva cried out in pain and made her escape through the open nursery window, her spells instantly ending with her exit. Cassandra jumped to her feet and ran over to the crib, stopping beside Klaus. As they panted and caught their breath, they gazed down at Hope who couldn't have looked more at ease and oblivious to what had just happened. Cassandra and Klaus looked up at each other, the same worried expression present on both of their faces.

-o-

After a restless night with little sleep, Klaus, Cassandra, and Marcel met in the parlor. Cassandra sat on the edge of the small table set behind the couch and folded her arms across her chest while she watched Klaus walk over to a shelf against the brick wall and opened a large wooden box.

"I should stop packing these away," he reached in and pulled out the magical shackles he'd once used on Finn and Kol. He shut the lid and carried them over to Marcel who stood a foot or so in front of Cassandra. "There's always one family member or another in need of a good shackling." He handed the mystical shackles to Marcel. "Find Rebekah, or Eva, or whoever the bloody hell that was. Use these to stop her from doing magic. And don't hurt her. The non-psychopathic bits are still my sister."

Marcel nodded. "Alright. I won't be the _only_ one looking for her," He added, his voice full of worry. "She killed witch kids. That twenty-four hour hold that Elijah got the covens to agree to ended at midnight. Every witch in the city is gonna be gunning for her."

Klaus nodded and turned to Cassandra. "Go to Elijah," he told her. "Get him to charm his elderly witch into calling off the hunt?"

"Wait," Cassandra frowned. "You want me to leave Hope? Shouldn't I stay here and protect our daughter?"

"Jackson has been working night and day to secure this compound, surrounding it with his werewolf army, not to mention the fact that I'm here," he pointed at himself. Cassandra nodded, but she still didn't like the idea of leaving. It must have showed on her face, because Klaus let out a soft sigh and walked up to her. "Look, the best way to protect our child is to get Rebekah out of that serial killer's body and back into the original model."

Cassandra stood up straighter and nodded. "Okay. What about you? What will you be doing while we're doing all the dirty work?"

"Well," Klaus tucked his arms behind his back and walked over to the wall where the shelf containing the box the shackles had been in was. "Attending to the even dirtier work. As usual."

Cassandra had no idea what he meant by it, but she wasn't in the mood to press him about it. She headed out of the parlor and made a quick stop in the nursery to see her daughter for a moment, giving her a quick kiss on top of the head before heading into the bedroom for her phone that she'd left charging on the nightstand. She picked it up and dialed Elijah's number.

"Seriously?" She groaned when she reached his voicemail after four rings. She quickly left him a message explaining the situation, then followed it up with a text before finally leaving the compound.

When she arrived at the home of Josephine LaRue, he was waiting at the front door for her, and he wasn't alone. Gia had come with him. She gave Gia a friendly nod as Elijah knocked on the door. After being invited in, they were escorted by the doorman to the parlor and told to wait there for Josephine.

An awkward silence filled the room. Cassandra folded her arms her arms across her chest and casually glanced around the room. Her eyes landed on Gia who had her lips nervously pressed together as she gazed at Elijah. Cassandra turned her head to look at Elijah, who was standing next to her, and found him gazing back at Gia, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. She glanced back at Gia again and raised her eyebrows slightly, giving the newbie vampire a silent message. Gia was quick to pick up on it.

"I'm gonna go see if I can find Josephine," she smiled more at Elijah than anything else when she spoke. Cassandra nodded and glanced over at Elijah as she walked out of the room.

"Well, now I see where you disappeared to last night and why you didn't answer my call this morning," Cassandra walked over one of the chairs in the middle of the room and sat down. "Did you have to bring her with you?"

Elijah casually walked over and sat down in the vacant chair next to her. "Josephine LaRue can be rather recalcitrant. She is, however, enamored with Gia's musical prowess and cavalier spirit.

"Mmm, apparently she's not the only one enamored by the baby vamp," Cassandra muttered as she looked around the room. When they landed on Elijah, she found him staring at her with an amused grin tugging at his lips. "What?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"I wasn't aware my spending time with Gia bothered you so," he murmured with a chuckle.

"It doesn't," she answered quickly. Too quickly. "It…it's fine. I'm…glad you've found someone so…multi-talented to spend your time with."

"Really?" Elijah raised his eyebrows. He didn't believe her.

"No," Cassandra blurted out, then backpedaled. "Yes," she paused and took a deep breath before forcing herself to meet his eyes. "Yes," she repeated in what she hoped was a more confident voice. _Liar,_ a voice hissed inside her head.

"Mmm," Elijah nodded. "I see. I must admit, this is a side of you that I am quite unaccustomed to but am nonetheless rather enjoying."

Cassandra narrowed her eyes at him. It was completely and utterly ridiculous. She had no reason to be…she couldn't even say it in her own mind. And yet, the thought of him and Gia together made her sick to her stomach, made her want to be anywhere but there. Her face softened, knowing it was useless to deny it or feign ignorance to the fact when he was clearly reading her like the open book she was to him. She blinked, trying to find the right words to say, when the sound of approaching footsteps alerted them both that Gia was returning with Josephine.

Elijah rose to his feet and turned and turned around to greet the elder Tremé witch. "Madame LaRue," he held out his hands to greet her as she walked up to him. Cassandra followed his lead and also stood up.

"Mister Mikaelson," Josephine leaned in and allowed Elijah to kiss her on both cheeks, then continued forward to sit down in a third chair that was across from where he and Cassandra had been seated and next to where Gia was currently standing. "Have you come to impress me once more with young Gia's rare talents?" Once she was seated, her eyes instantly landed on Cassandra. "What, pray tell, does this one do?"

"This one is family, Madame," Elijah answered curtly. Cassandra's lips twitched as she fought the urge to smile proudly. "We've come to ask a favor."

Josephine eyed Elijah curiously and slightly moved her head forward, urging him to continue with his request. Elijah sat back down and quickly filled her in on the situation with Rebekah and Eva fighting for control inside Eva's body.

"If Eva is back in control of her body, then you need to let the witches put that body down," Josephine explained. "Eva will use up your sister just like she did the others."

"The others?" Cassandra asked, alarm in her voice.

Josephine nodded and continued. "Eva was a wild beauty practicing a wild magic. But she and Vincent were so happy, we let them be."

"And then the children began to disappear," Elijah added in a low voice.

"Children?" Cassandra whispered. Her heart sank. "Oh no."

"First was a little girl named Amelie Dupree, from Algiers. Then Lou-Ann Hughes from the Ninth, and Nicolas Alseis from the Tremé. All were young children and witch prodigies. Six kids vanished in total. Vincent was able to put a locator spell on one of the children right after he was taken. Because of Vincent's tenacity, she was caught," Josephine told them. "Afterwards, she begged and pleaded, 'Just three more little girls.'."

"Why three?" Cassandra asked.

"To complete the Rite of Nines," was Josephine's answer.

"The Rite of Nines?" Gia frowned in confusion.

"Eva thought that if she sacrificed a witch from each of the nine covens it would create a new witch order in New Orleans. This would have made her more powerful than any elder or Harvest girl," Josephine kept her voice low.

"I still don't understand," Cassandra shook her head. "Why innocent kids?"

Josephine took a breath and met Cassandra's eyes. "Because their magic is new and pure. And they are significantly easier to subdue than any adult witch."

"That's why she went after my baby," Cassandra realized, leaning back and folding her arms against her chest.

"She would have killed your daughter and channeled her powers," Josephine whispered. "As she did with those other poor children. Those children were never found. They died unconsecrated, unable to be with our ancestors, used as a source for Eva's magic. We agree, she must be stopped. No more of our youth will die. That is why, Mr. Mikaelson," she rose to her feet and acknowledged Elijah. "I will not extend your twenty-four hours. Eva Sinclair has a bounty on her head.

"You would condemn my sister to her death," Elijah hissed as he rose to his feet and pointed a finger at Josephine.

"I dislike the term 'collateral damage', but there it is. If one or two must fall in order to take Eva down for good, so be it," Josephine kept her voice calm.

As soon as those two dreaded words left her mouth, Cassandra's blood began to boil until she could no longer keep quiet. "Okay, I am really starting to hate that damn phrase!" She growled, jumping up to her feet and glaring at the elderly woman.

"Let me assure you, Madame LaRue," Elijah kept his voice low. "We will defend your witches with a fearsome vigilance," he reminded her of the deal they had made.

"You have a wonderful way with words, really. Your cadence is pleasant. Normally, I could listen to it all day long," Josephine mused. "But I grow tired of this. My mind remains unchanged."

"Seriously?" Cassandra placed her hands on her hips. "She puts on a talent show," she motioned at Gia with her hand. "He," she motioned at Elijah, "Has every vampire in the quarter bowing down to you, and your final answer is 'screw you'?"

"Cassandra" Gia jumped to her feet, giving her a warning glance to remain calm.

"Back off," Cassandra growled and held her palm up toward Gia, her eyes never leaving Josephine.

"We came here to honor the alliance between us. If this is something you wish to rescind," Elijah spoke in a rush of words, then lowered his voice to an eerie whisper. "So be it." He turned around and began to walk toward the front door.

"Don't you dare walk into _my_ house and threaten me," Josephine took a few steps forward to follow after him and stopped once she was in front of Cassandra, her voice instantly causing Elijah to spin back around toward her. "I am not the one that needs you, Elijah Mikaelson. It is you who needs us. Or you will soon enough." She turned around to face Cassandra and grabbed her wrists, making her jump in surprise. "There's a storm coming, child," she whispered, looking Cassandra in the eyes. A cold chill ran down Cassandra's spine. "And your darkest demons ride upon it. I do not know its name. But when I peer into your future, there is a blackness that should terrify you."

Cassandra swallowed nervously and yanked her arms out of the witch's grasp. It didn't take rocket science to know what, or rather who, the blackness was. One look at Elijah's face told her he knew as well—Dahlia. The fact that a witch she'd never met until now had given her that warning made it that much more real.

* * *

Klaus stood in the Grand Foyer gazing at the elegant portrait of Rebekah that hung on the wall along with similar portraits of himself and Elijah. He was waiting for Freya to arrive and use her magic to put their sister back in her original body. He heard the sound of approaching footsteps but did not immediately turn around.

"Our sister was quite the beauty," Freya called out as she made her way down the stairs. She stopped halfway down where she was eye level with Klaus.

"You said that you could put Rebekah back in her original body. Do it," He ordered, keeping his back to her.

Freya let out a faint scoff. "Heh, so you've come to your senses."

"My senses have _not_ faltered. They still demand you are not to be trusted. However," he turned around to face her. "Circumstance dictates otherwise, for now."

"What's changed?" Freya asked, her lips tightening into a straight line.

"Eva Sinclair has resumed control of her body, leaving Rebekah trapped and powerless. So make with your spells and enchantments and put my sister back in her true body!" Klaus ordered again, his impatience growing.

Freya let out a soft breath. "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"More stalling. Very well. I know I can't kill you," he started to walk towards her. "But I shall have a fine time trying," he smirked. "Tell me, have you ever been skinned alive?"

Freya glared at him. "The problem is Rebekah's condition has worsened. When I offered to help, she was in control of Eva's body." Klaus sighed and turned around, walking forward to the small end table that was next to a big, plush couch while Freya continued to explain herself. "I don't have a spell that can reach Eva's mind and find her."

Klaus didn't have for her to use either, but he knew exactly where to find someone who did. "Fortunately for you, I know someone well-versed in such spells." He looked down at a small box resting on top of the end table and slowly raised the lid. In a burst of hybrid speed, he grabbed what was inside, the other pair of mystical shackles, and whooshed over to Freya, slapping them onto her wrists before she could even blink. She let out a startled gasp, then glared at Klaus once she realized what had happened. "Let's go meet her, shall we?"

Freya remained silent, allowing him to lead the way to Lafayette Cemetery. Once there, they made their way into the Lyonne tomb, Klaus pulling her by the chain of the shackles on her wrists. "I fail to see the need for these," Freya was irritated with him for rendering her powerless. "I'm not your enemy."

"Oh, they're not to protect me, love. They're to protect _her_ , the one who knows more about mind-invasion and body-jumping than all of us put together," he came to a stop once they'd reached the heart of the tomb.

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Klaus pulled out not one, but two blood bags and tossed them forward onto the ground as close to the shadows as he could get. Freya stepped forward and watched curiously as a hand shot out from behind a stone slab and grabbed one of the blood bags. Faint slurping could be heard the bag was sucked try. The same hand reached out a moment later and grabbed the second bag, bringing it back into the shadows. Freya glanced at Klaus, still confused, but he remained silent, a smirk plastered on his face.

A second later, Freya realized who they were there to see. "No! No!" She yelled and started to turn away. Klaus grabbed her by the arms and turned her back toward the wall where their guest was lurking.

"Mother?" Klaus called out to the shadows. Esther, forever bound to Lenore's body now that she was a vampire, leaned forward as she finished sucking the second blood bag try and glanced up at them in surprise. "Freya. Freya, mother."

"It can't be," Esther narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

Freya turned to Klaus, fury in her eyes. "You won't trust me, yet you would trust her."

"I trust my mother as much as I would a stuck snake. Fortunately," He let go of Freya and walked up to Esther. "She is now a vampire, and as such, vulnerable to my compulsion." He reached down and grabbed Esther by her throat, making her squeak in surprise. "You will answer me," he compelled her. "Truthfully." He pulled her up to her feet, ignoring her whimpers and dragged her over to Freya. "There. Now at least everything that comes out of her wretched mouth will be honest. Let's raid Mommy Dearest's mind for spells, shall we?"

He released Esther and gave her a moment to compose herself. She gazed at Freya, her lips curling into a smile. "My beautiful girl. My first born." She started to reach a hand out towards Freya who slapped it away with a fierce glare.

"Touch me, and I will use these chains to strangle you!" Freya hissed, jingling the shackles locked around her wrists.

"Yes, well, now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, let's begin, shall we," Klaus called out lightly from a few feet behind Freya. Both Esther and Freya shifted their attention onto him and listened. "It appears your _delightful_ sister, Dahlia, is on her way to New Orleans and hell-bent on stealing my child." He began to walk back over to them. "I need Rebekah back in her original body so she can help me destroy her."

Esther's eyes widened in disbelief. "Your—your child?" She gasped, placing a hand on her chest.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Ah, yes. I suppose it is difficult keeping up on current events whilst rotting inside a tomb. Very well," he raised his hands and walked past Freya to his mother. "The short version—my child is alive. Dahlia is on her way. But now the previous tenant of Rebekah's body has seized control and isn't keen on giving it up. Young Freya here," he motioned at his sister. "Although powerful, lacks the spell to put Rebekah back in her true body, and that's where you come in." He lunged toward her and grabbed her by the shoulders "I need you to be a dear and dig deep in that ex-witch mind of yours." He let go of her and pulled a notebook and a pen out of his jacket pocket. "Give me the spell that puts Rebekah back," he whispered, holding them out to her.

* * *

By the time they arrived back at the compound, Cassandra had calmed down considerably. She relieved Hayley and Jackson of their babysitting duties and scooped Hope up into her arms from her crib where she sat playing with her stuffed bear. She made her way down the hall to the parlor where Elijah and Gia were. She could tell she'd interrupted a private conversation, but neither of them seemed to mind. Elijah gave her a warm smile and walked over to meet her.

"How are you holding up?" He asked, leaning down to kiss Hope on the top of her head.

"Oh, I'm alright," Cassandra answered as she gently bounced Hope on her hip. "Considering it's only been a few days since we got back, with mourning the loss my mother and working through the rest of my intense emotions since turning them back on, the drama with your sister Freya, having to fend off a witch who went after my daughter to use her in a ritual, and Josephine's crazy little warning, I'd say I'm just peachy."

Elijah's face softened. "I cannot begin to express how sorry I am for not being here last night. If I'd stayed, Eva never would have gotten away. All of this," he waived his hand. "Would be different."

"None of this is your fault, Elijah. Please don't blame yourself. You're allowed to have a life. Plus, you're only doing what I asked of you and Klaus—giving me a little space to get my head back on straight, so to speak," she gave him a small smile to show she wasn't mad at him.

"Very well," he nodded, smiling back.

The sound of someone clearing their throat made them both turn around toward the doorway where Hayley was leading Marcel inside. "Sorry to interrupt but," she let out a breath and glanced at Marcel. "Tell them."

Marcel made his way over to Cassandra and Elijah, took a seat on the arm of the couch, and quickly filled them in on what had happened with Vincent Griffith, who, Cassandra was shocked to learn, was Eva's husband. Vincent had agreed to talk to her to see if he could get her to admit to where she'd taken all of the kids she'd used for the ritual. He knew exactly where to find her, where an injured witch on the run would go to heal their injuries. That's when he and Marcel learned she had taken Davina after regaining control of her body when Rebekah went to see her. Fortunately, none of the children were dead. She told Vincent they were all still alive, just cloaked. She was channeling their magic. Then the last thing Marcel expected to happen happened. Vincent double crossed him, knocking him unconscious.

"When I woke, both Vincent and Eva had vanished. He removed the shackles from her wrists, too. I came straight here," he finished.

"Great," Cassandra let out a worried sigh. "So Eva is in the wind, only now she has a sidekick.

"The charming Vincent Griffith," Elijah muttered.

"It gets worse," Marcel looked over at Elijah who had his back to him. "If Eva has Davina, then she has eight of the witches she needs finish the ritual." This made Elijah spin around to face him, his lips parted slightly in surprise. "She just needs one more."

Cassandra's stomach dropped and her heart speed up. "If she comes after Hope," Cassandra kept her voice even as she walked up to Marcel and glanced from him to Elijah. "Rebekah or no Rebekah, I will do _whatever_ I have to do to protect my child."

"Fortify this house," Elijah ordered Marcel and Hayley as he started back at them with one of the most intense looks she'd ever seen. "When they do come, kill him. Capture her."

"Capture?" Cassandra eyed him in surprise.

"I will _not_ abandon my sister," he walked toward her.

Cassandra felt a wave of guilt wash over her for thinking such a thing. "Of…of course," she whispered.

Elijah nodded in acceptance. "Now, you and Hayley gather what wolves you have. With Vincent by her side, she will strike with considerable force."

Cassandra nodded and followed Hayley out of the room. They quickly made their way downstairs to the courtyard and found Jackson sitting at one of the tables with a couple of other crescents. After filling them in, they jumped to their feet and hurried off to gather the rest of the pack and get into position for Eva's pending arrival. Hayley went with them, leaving Cassandra to anxiously pace around the courtyard while she bounced Hope in her arms.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Mommy's not going to let anything happen to you," Cassandra whispered as she leaned down and brushed her lips against the top of Hope's head. She looked up and found Elijah and Gia walking toward her. "Still no sign of her? What on earth is Eva waiting for?"

"She didn't wait," Marcel answered as he walked through the main corridor toward them. "She took Josephine LaRue not half an hour ago."

Though she was relieved to hear this, there were still eight missing, most likely dead kids out there somewhere. "If Eva doesn't need Hope, then where would she go?" Cassandra asked.

"Same place she kept the other captives, where she took Davina," Marcel answered.

"A place no one has been able to find for two years," Elijah added.

Marcel's phone began to ring loudly from his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. Letting out a heavy sigh, he exchanged a 'here-we-go' look with Cassandra, Elijah, and Gia as he answered it and turned around to take the call.

"When I find you, I'm going to rip your head from your neck," he hissed into the phone.

"You might want to hold off on that decapitation," Vincent answered from the other end of the call. "I found them all. Davina's alive. Sorry, I had to make it look convincing. If you were in on the plan, Eva would've known," he apologized in a quick rush of words.

Cassandra glanced over at Elijah and was certain his face reflected the same surprise over Vincent's two-timing Eva to both subdue her and learn where she had taken the kids and Josephine. When she shifted her gaze back to Marcel, he'd gone from stunned, to relieved, to annoyed in a matter of seconds.

"Yeah, blasting me through a couple glass doors really sold it," he muttered into the phone. "All right, round of applause. Now what?"

"Now we got a problem," Vincent told him. He'd noticed Davina blood dripping out of one side of her nose, just like Eva did after he'd knocked her out. "These kids, they're all linked to her. If she dies, they all die."

"Oh no," Cassandra whispered.

"So we'll find a witch to unlink them," Marcel suggested.

Vincent agreed. "We're gonna need somebody with some serious power."

Marcel let out a heavy sigh and turned around to meet Elijah's stern gaze. Elijah gave him a slight nod, confirming they were both thinking the same thing. Cassandra was pretty certain she knew, too. They were going to need Freya.

"I'm gonna go feed Hope," Cassandra murmured and excused herself. She did not want to stick around for the next part of the conversation. Now that there was no more threat, she didn't feel she was needed anymore. She went into the kitchen and used one hand to make a bottle for Hope, giving it to her while walking up the stairs to the nursery. She settled into the rocking chair, one of her favorite places to spend time with her daughter and began to lightly move back and forth while Hope drank. When Hope was finished, Cassandra turned her so that she was sitting sideways on her lap and gently patted her back until she let out a few decent sized burps.

The sound of approaching footsteps caused her to look up at the doorway where Gia appeared. "Mmm, this place smells like a werewolf," she sighed, walking over to the dresser and picking up a wooden giraffe figuring that had fallen over to set back down properly.

"Well, that's because Jackson and Hayley have a whole platoon of them out there," Cassandra answered in a light voice. Hope let out a squeaky laugh, making Cassandra smile. She bounced her gently in her lap and gazed lovingly at her for a moment before looking up to meet Gia's eyes. "You know, you can go. You don't have to stay."

"Elijah says you and your kid have more than one enemy," Gia walked over to stand beside the rocking chair and folded her arms comfortably across her chest. "If someone manages to make it through that dog show outside, you and the baby run. I stay and stall them."

Cassandra stared at Gia in surprise. "You don't know me. Why would you put yourself in harm's way for us?"

Gia took a small breath before answering. "I don't have to know you. I know Elijah. And," she glanced down, shaking her head slightly. "I know what you mean to him, what this baby means to him."

"He talks about me with you?" Cassandra raised her eyebrows.

Gia smiled and let out a soft chuckle. "No, but I'm not blind. I've seen the way he looks at you. I know he'll never look at me that way, and I'm okay with that. Look, after he returned to town with your kid, we started hanging out. He was just so…wound up. I guess it must be tough to spend a thousand years being the shoulder everyone else leans on." Cassandra remained silent and stared down at the floor. "Maybe he just needs to live his life for himself for once."

Cassandra slowly met Gia's eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew Gia was right. He did need to live his life for himself. He deserved to. So, why then, did the thought of him living that life with someone else put a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach?

* * *

"What is taking so long?" Klaus growled impatiently, watching Esther as she leaned over a small, round table and wrote in the notebook he'd provided. "You didn't tarry when you attempted to kill my child."

Esther glanced up at him, a pained expression on her face. "I took no joy in that. I knew if your daughter lived, Dahlia would come, not only for her, but for all of you. And however you may despise me, I would not wish that upon you."

"How touching," Klaus stared at her, his voice oozing with sarcasm.

"Isn't it?" Freya stood a few feet in front of him, closer to the table to watch Esther, and glanced over her shoulder at him momentarily before bringing her eyes back to her mother. Her voice was laced with bitterness. "I always wondered what maternal compassion sounded like. Of course, I wouldn't know, since you sold me into slavery at the age of 5."

Esther set the pen on the table and leaned back. "When I made that bargain with my sister, I had no idea what it meant to be a mother. I thought if I had a dozen children, I would not miss the one. And then you were born. You were beautiful." Esther smiled. "You had a light about you. You put a smile on the face of the hardest man I had ever known. And when Dahlia took you, I believed that same light might warm her embittered heart, that you would lead a good life."

"A good life?" Freya snarled, her eyes full of rage. She charged forward toward Esther. "You were my mother! You should have come for me."

"Yes," Esther gave a tiny nod of her head. "I should have. But it would have been a mistake." She paused and looked past Freya at Klaus, directing her next statement to him. "The same mistake you'll be making if you let this girl help you."

"For God's sake," Klaus muttered, rolling his eyes. It was clear his patience was wearing thin, and he was not in the mood to decipher her riddles. "Speak plainly."

Esther walked around the table over to him. "The light I saw in Freya as a child, it's gone. While she was mine for five years, Dahlia was her mentor for a thousand. And like her mentor, she will offer to solve your problem, but for a price."

"There is no price," Freya snapped and lunged at Esther. "I love them—"

"No violence," Klaus stepped in between them and pushed Freya back with his hand. "Until she's finished writing the spell, please. Honestly," He turned back toward Esther. "It's all temper and no timing with this one," he motioned behind him at Freya with a smirk. "Heh, I, for one, am glad you gave her away so that I could be born. You should think of me as an upgrade."

Freya rolled her eyes and walked over to the table to look at the spell Esther had written down. Klaus and Esther watched her in silence. She flipped through the few pages and let out a shaky breath once she was finished. "I can't do this," she murmured in disappointment. "This spell requires an enormous amount of power."

"Which you have," Esther told her.

"And that power needs to be anchored, or I'll be lost inside Eva's mind along with Rebekah," Freya looked up at them. She began to walk back over to them. "Unlike your magic, mine isn't anchored to any one place. Because of you, I have no home."

"Perhaps," Esther couldn't refute it. She glanced at Klaus. "But there is no other spell."

Freya stared at him, her eyes widening as an idea came to her. "You," she whispered. Klaus furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head, waiting for her to explain herself. Freya walked toward him, the chains from the shackles on her wrists jingling with each step. "I can use you to be my anchor. I'll channel your power while I breach Eva's mind."

Esther let out a low scoff. "And there it is. The price. If she channels you, she will have access to your mind, past and present. She will know _everything_ about you."

Klaus tightened his jaw and walked forward as he processed what he'd just learned. "All of my strategies, and all of my secrets laid bare…to give to Dahlia." He slowly turned around and looked Freya in the eyes. "You must think I'm a fool," he uttered in a low voice.

"Unless it's not a trick,' Elijah walked into the tomb and came to a stop behind Klaus. "I'll be the anchor."

"Brother," Klaus slowly turned around to face him. "I think not."

"Brother, whatever this is," Elijah shook his head and waved an arm at Freya and Esther. " _Nothing_ must prevent us from saving our sister. I will not lose Rebekah."

"Oh yes, by all means, let's give Dahlia's _whelp_ ," he motioned at Freya with his hand. "Access to all of the information she needs to destroy us."

Elijah had his own question to throw back at him. "And since when do we head the word of this serpent," he hissed and nodded at Esther.

Freya's rage grew as they bickered back and forth. Her hands gripped the chain connected to the shackles on her wrists. "ENOUGH!" she yelled and raised her arms, overpowering the magical shackles and breaking them clean off.

Klaus started to turn toward her but couldn't do anything because she raised her hand and snapped her fingers, instantly breaking his neck and sending him sinking to the ground while Elijah stared in amazement. "For an upgraded model," she looked down at Klaus's body as she marched around it. "You're not very sharp." When she reached Elijah, she briefly met his eyes. "Let's go," she ordered and continued walking past him.

He stared at Esther for a moment, then turned and followed after Freya. As they walked, she started giving him instructions to follow. He nodded and pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket to call Marcel with a message to meet with Vincent and Eva at the warehouse where Eva was keeping the children and Josephine. After that, they picked up the supplies they needed for the spell and headed to the warehouse.

They arrived ahead of everyone else which gave Freya the time she needed to set up the spell. She used salt and herbs to form the triangle Esther had drawn for her in a big, open portion of the warehouse they were in. When she was done, they went outside to meet Vincent and Marcel and led them back to the salt triangle.

"Lay her inside the salt, and lie on either side of her," Freya instructed Marcel, who was carrying Eva, and Vincent. "Each of you take her hand. I will act as a bridge into her mind. But," she looked up Elijah as Marcel carefully laid Eva's body down on the ground. "I'm trusting you to anchor me, brother."

"Do what you need to do," Elijah told her.

"Rebekah's buried deep. Eva will not give her up without a fight," Freya stared down at Eva's body.

"Then she gets a fight," Marcel looked up at Freya, his eyes full of determination.

"Be careful," Freya warned him. "You're entering Eva's mind. If she kills you in there, you will be lost. And if you kill her before you free Rebekah, then Rebekah will be gone forever," she paused and directed her words at Vincent. "Once you have Rebekah, then and only then can Eva be dealt with."

"We got it," Vincent nodded and lowered himself down into a sitting position on one side of Eva while Marcel was on the other.

"You'll need a weapon," Freya told him, stopping him before he was laying down completely. She knelt down and pulled a blade out of her boot which she held out to him.

Vincent stared at the blade and narrowed his eyes. "How am I supposed to take that with me?" He asked her.

Freya took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she clasped the blade between both of her hands. She murmured an incantation, repeating it three times, before opening her eyes. "This," she eyed Vincent. "Is going to hurt." She lunged at him and stabbed in the arm with the blade. Vincent yelled out in pain before falling back unconscious, along with Marcel.

Elijah held his hand out to Freya. She stood up and walked up to him, gripping his upper arm while he held on to hers. She met his eyes and nodded that she was ready to begin. Elijah kept his eyes glued to her, watching intensely as she closed her eyes and began to chant an incantation to the spell. She repeated the words over and over, each time growing more intense than the last. As the spell took strength, Freya's body flailed backwards, forcing Elijah to use all of his strength to maintain his hold on her. Vincent's body arched, and Marcel's eyes started to bleed which meant something bad was happening to them inside Eva's head space.

"AHHH!" Elijah yelled, his body beginning to shake as he fought to keep a grip on Freya's arms.

Opening her eyes, Freya lifted her head to look at Elijah. "I'm losing them!" she yelled. She closed them and resumed her chanting, letting her head fall backwards once more.

Out of nowhere, Klaus appeared and placed a hand on top of her arm and the other on top of Elijah's. Freya fell silent and leaned forward, staring at him in surprise along with Elijah.

"We're not finished, you and I," Klaus told her. "But for right now, save my sister."

Freya nodded and closed her eyes, drawing on a combination of Elijah and Klaus's power. She continued to chant until Vincent and Marcel opened their eyes and let out loud gasps. The force of the spell ending pushed all three Mikaelsons away from each other. They turned and stared at Eva's limp body, waiting for movement.

"Did it work?" Klaus asked anxiously.

"Where am I?" The familiar voice of Davina called out from the other end of the warehouse. Marcel turned his head in her direction and whooshed to her side. He looked around and saw the seven other children and Josephine also waking up and let out a sigh of relief.

"They're okay," he yelled out to let Klaus, Elijah, Freya and Vincent know, then rushed over to Davina and knelt down, pulling her into his arms.

"Marcel!" Davina hugged him back tightly.

Back on the other side of the warehouse, Elijah was the first to approach Eva's lifeless body, the body that Rebekah should have retaken control of.

"Why isn't she waking?" Klaus turned to Freya with a growl. Freya stared back at him at a complete loss for words. She had no idea why Rebekah hadn't yet woken up. The last thing she wanted was for any harm to come to her sister.

A moment later, Rebekah awoke with a resounding gasp and shot up to a sitting position. She slowly looked around and met the eyes of her siblings, letting out a relieved sigh. "Bloody hell."

* * *

Cassandra leaned back against the edge of the wooden staircase railing inside Josephine LaRue's mansion, her hands comfortably resting inside the pockets of her black jacket, and let out a shallow breath. After returning to the compound in complete control of Eva's body once and for all, Rebekah had convinced her to come along with Klaus so that she could formally meet Freya. While she was eternally grateful to Freya for saving Rebekah, Cassandra still had her own reservations but agreed in the end, especially after Hayley and Jackson offered to watch Hope for her.

She glanced over her shoulder and up at Klaus who stood on the steps behind her, a scowl on his face. It was clear he was dealing with similar feelings. She remained silent and turned back to watch the scene in front of her. Josephine stood in the middle of the room with Elijah, Gia, Freya, Rebekah, and the parents that had been reunited with the children Eva had kidnapped holding up a necklace with a turquoise pendant dangling from it. She presented it to a beaming Freya and fastened it around her neck before giving her a big hug while everyone began to clap.

"You are one of us now," Josephine told her. "New Orleans is your home. Your friends are our friends. Your enemies, ours."

 _Yeah, I wonder how long that's going to last,_ Cassandra fought the urge to scoff and roll her eyes.

The families began approaching Freya one by one to offer their thanks, giving Rebekah the opportunity to slip away from the group and head over to Cassandra. "All right, you've been over here acting like a wallflower long enough. Come meet Freya." Cassandra pressed her lips together and stole a wary glance in Freya's direction. "Hey," Rebekah placed a hand gently on Cassandra's arm. "I understand why you're still hesitant to trust her, considering everything you've been through. So trust me. Or better yet, trust Elijah."

"Elijah?" Cassandra blinked in surprise. She glanced over at the crowd of people and found him looking back at her. He smiled and gave her an encouraging nod. She chewed the edge of her bottom lip for half a second before nodding in return and looking back at Rebekah again. "Okay," she murmured. "I do trust Elijah's judgement more than anything else so, if he trusts her, than I guess I have no reason not to meet her anymore. But," she pointed a finger at Rebekah. "If this ends up backfiring in all of our faces somewhere down the line—"

"I will take all of the blame for it. But it won't. I promise," Rebekah answered quickly. Grinning, she looped her arm around Cassandra's and guided her across the room and through the crowd to where Freya stood, her back to them. "Freya," Rebekah called out to her as she and Cassandra came to a stop. Freya spun around, a wide smile spreading across her cheeks at the sight of Cassandra's presence. "This is Cassandra. I thought it was time you two were finally introduced."

Knowing instantly who she was, Freya reached for Cassandra's free hand and clasped it between both of hers as they shook hands. "Cassandra, I'm so happy to finally meet you."

"Um…me too, I guess," Cassandra replied, though there was some skepticism still present in her voice.

"I want you to know that I will do whatever it takes to take Dahlia down and ensure your daughter has a full and bright future with the family who loves her unconditionally. I know you have no reason to believe me, but I'm hoping you'll allow me the chance to earn your trust as I have Elijah's and Rebekah's."

Cassandra nodded and flashed her a tiny smile. "Well, saving Rebekah and the other kids is definitely a good start."

"Yes, it is," Elijah appeared beside them, a pleased smile on his face.

While Elijah went on to say something else about the events that had transpired that day, Cassandra cast a glance back at the stairwell where Klaus stood. He was not at all happy to see her slowly entangling herself in what he believed was a web full of lies and deceit. She gave him a sad, apologetic look, then forced herself to return her attention to the others. Time would tell if they had all made a deal with the devil in disguise or if Freya would live up to her word and defeat Dahlia.

* * *

Freya sat alone at the bar in a nearly empty Rousseau's later that night, a pleased smile on her face as she twirled the turquoise pendant on the necklace from Josephine between her thumb and index finger. She felt a sudden presence behind her and let out a faint breath.

"Come to shackle me again, brother?" She turned her head to the left when she spoke, then resumed looking straight ahead when Klaus walked forward and came to a stop beside her.

He slowly lowered himself onto the empty bar stool. "Maybe you've wormed your way into the witches' good graces," he spoke in a low voice as she spun her stool around until she was facing him and reached over to hold her turquoise pendent between his fingers. "And my siblings' too, but I see you for what you really are even if they cannot."

"They are not burdened by crippling paranoia," Freya replied after he let go of the pendant and leaned back. "The kind that leaves you muttering to yourself, alone in the dark: 'Where has everyone gone?'." Klaus stared at her, enraged that she had brought up what she'd uncovered when she was in his mind during the spell.

"Mean of me, yes," she cracked a faint smile. "I shouldn't bring up your childhood secrets. But don't worry, all I saw when I channeled you were anger issues and your unquestionable love for Cassandra. From what I saw in Elijah's head, he loves her just as much as you do." She stood up and walked around the stool until she as on the opposite side but still facing her brother. "But you already knew that. I was once alone, brother. It would be a shame if you were the one who now found himself so." She started to step past him when he jumped to his feet and pushed her back with his hand. Before he could say anything, she turned and whispered in his ear. "It doesn't have to be like this, of course. But be careful. I have only so much patience."

She continued on her way, leaving him to think about things. Once she was outside, she flagged down the first taxi she spotted and had it take her to Lafayette Cemetery. She had one final piece of business to take care of before the day was over. The cemetery had a certain level of eeriness at night, but it didn't faze Freya one bit. She quickly made it to her destination—the tomb where Esther was currently residing.

Inside, the tomb was dim, illuminated by dozens of lid candles placed ceremonially around the different statues and torches that hung from the walls. She found Esther sitting on a small, stone bench up against the far wall.

"Freya," Esther looked up at her as she came to a stop in the middle of the mausoleum.

"You were wrong about me," Freya glared at her. "I loathe Dahlia more than you could ever know. You don't see that light in me?" She hissed. "That's because she snuffed it out. I was five and she was the devil. She took my life, my love," Freya began to slowly walk forward toward Esther. "My will to live, my ability to die. You are no longer my mother," she whispered. "But I am _not_ her child."

Esther stood up and walked toward Freya. "I am so sorry."

Freya closed her eyes and swallowed the urge to laugh, then opened them again. "It's a little late for that. But it turns out you were right about one thing. Maybe Klaus shouldn't have let me glimpse inside his mind."

"I warned him to be wary of you, of what you might see," Esther gave the slightest nod of her head.

"Oh, I saw quite a bit. But I only learned one thing. Klaus and I can never be allies. I now see that he will never trust me. So he leaves me no choice. I will have to turn the family against him. One by one. And now I know how to do it," Freya revealed with a sneer.

Esther furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"

Freya tiled her head slightly to the side and stepped forward, putting herself directly in front of Esther. "Because you won't be around to see it."

She placed two fingers against Esther's forehead while holding onto her turquoise pendent with the other. Esther screamed and slowly began to sink backwards until she burst into a ginormous cloud of black starlings. The birds flew around the tomb for a few seconds until, one by one, they all fell to the ground dead. With a smile on her face, Freya carefully stepped over them and made her way out of the tomb.


	46. Here Comes The Wicked Witch

**Hey guys! I hope you are all doing well. I can't believe we are already over a month through 2019. Time sure flies. I'm excited to give you guys another long chapter to read. Things should start to really pick up now that we're in the final four episodes of season two. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about what you guys will think about this chapter. Cassandra is going to be faced with some big decisions (if you know the show well enough, you'll know what I'm talking about.) With that being said, I hope you all enjoy this latest installment. Thank you again for sticking with me. I promise it's worth the wait!**

* * *

 **Chapter 46 - Here Comes The Wicked Witch**

"Thanks again for doing this," Cassandra flashed Jackson and Hayley a brief smile before returning her gaze to the stroller she was pushing while they walked down Bourbon Street. She had asked them if they would go for a walk around the city with her and Hope, and they had eagerly agreed. She knew if she had gone to Klaus, he would have been against it, but she wanted to experience a little normalcy while she still could, so she sought out those she knew would help her.

Gazing down at Hope who laid bundled under a pale pink and yellow blanket and wore a pink beanie, Cassandra reached down and gently tickled her, making her coo and laugh, which made Cassandra smile from ear to ear.

"Anytime," Jackson flashed a grin at her. "So, Ms. Forbes, Mrs. Marshall-Kenner, now that you've got a real local to show you around the Quarter, what would you like to see first?"

"Well, Mr. Kenner," Hayley grinned back at him. "I'd ask to see your old haunts, but," she looked down at Hope. "We do have an impressionable young lady with us."

"Yes, we do," Cassandra nodded in agreement.

As they continued to walk, she took note of the different street vendors and the items they were selling. It reminded her of New York, only it was less crowded.

"Oh!" Cassandra gasped as they came upon a young woman playing a violin.

She looked down at Hope and pointed at the woman. "Look!" she murmured, stroking Hope's cheek. The woman played for a few more moments before dramatically ending her tune with a smile. Cassandra reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a few bills. "Thanks," she smiled and dropped the bills into the violin case.

She gripped the handle of the stroller and started to move forward when the violinist began to play again. Her new tune was much slower. Cassandra stopped and looked back at the violinist who was staring back at her.

"That song," she turned back and eyed Jackson and Hayley. "What is it?" They all looked back at the violinist again for a brief moment before continuing to walk, none of them having heard of it before, but all three of them getting the same, creeped out feeling from it.

They'd barely taken a few steps when they reached a waiter who was writing a message on a chalkboard placed outside of a restaurant that read _'A promise made is a debt to be paid.'_ It left a sour taste in Cassandra's mouth. She blinked and looked back over her shoulder at the violist again, wondering if she was just being paranoid or if they were being followed. When she faced forward again, she nearly jumped when she found a dark-skinned man earing a black beanie, black coat over a pale blue pull over shirt and dark jeans standing in front of her with alarge, long-stemmed red and black flower in his hand.

"Flowers, miss," he spoke in a friendly voice as he held them out toward the stroller. "A gift for the child."

Cassandra was too taken aback to speak. Sensing her unease, Jackson quickly stepped in. "No, we're all right," he politely held up his hand. "Thank you."

"You sure?" The man asked. He brought the large flower up to his nose to smell it. "Black dahlias are in bloom. They're quite lovely."

At the mention of the word 'dahlias', Cassandra's eyes widened. She knew in that moment she wasn't being paranoid. All she could think about now was getting back to the safety of the compound. She started to step past the man when he grabbed her upper arm. She let out a gasp and stared at him. He blinked, and his eyes turned cloudy white. She had no idea what it meant, but she didn't doubt Dahlia was behind it. Before the man could say anything else, Klaus came whooshing out of nowhere and grabbed him by his throat.

"Show yourself, witch!" Klaus growled, pushing him back a few steps.

Cassandra looked from the two of them over to Hayley and Jackson. Jackson flinched and let out a soft groan. His eyes became cloudy white while the eyes of the man Klaus had by the throat went back to normal.

"Klaus!" Cassandra turned and yelled at him.

"I am here," Jackson spoke in a trance-like voice. "I am everywhere. And I intend to take what is mine."

Klaus let go of the man and walked over to Cassandra. "It's her."

Jackson let out another grunt as whatever had been possessing him let him go. He immediately saw the horrified look on Cassandra's face and rushed over to her. "Hey, what just happened?"

"Dahlia," Klaus tightened his jaw.

-o-

"Isn't that the point of a fortress? It does a better job of protecting you when you _stay within its walls_ ," Klaus lectured Cassandra once she, Jackson, and Hayley had returned to the compound. After getting Hope settled in in the nursery, she and Hayley went back downstairs to the dining room while Jackson remained in his and Hayley's suite, clearly still distraught over what had just happened. They sat at the dining table along with Rebekah who was seated across from Cassandra. Klaus was seated at the head of the table, with Cassandra two seats over on his right and Hayley to her right. Behind Rebekah, Freya stood hunched over a small side table preparing a magical tea.

"Okay. I get it," Cassandra sighed, tucking her arms around herself. She felt like a child being chastised. "I said I was sorry. Now can we please move on from that and figure out what the on earth we're gonna do?"

Klaus, on the other hand, was not finished giving her or Hayley a piece of his mind. "What I would like to do," he shouted and rose to his feet, glaring at them. "Is take a strong leash—"

"Children, please," Elijah walked up to the empty seat beside Cassandra, politely cutting his brother off. "Niklaus, your ire is justified, however Cassandra is quite right." Cassandra couldn't help flashing a smug look at Klaus while Elijah continued to reason with him. "We need to find a new strategy." He shifted his eyes over to Freya. "Freya, if you please."

Freya finished pouring her concoction into a half a dozen tea cups that had been placed on a silver serving tray and set the kettle down in the center before looking over at the table with a heavy sigh. "This spell you described," she began while Klaus pivoted around his chair and turned his back toward her as he began to pace, clearly annoyed that Elijah had put an end to his ranting. "Dahlia calls it ' _kenning'_ —using proxies to watch her enemies from afar. But I've never seen it done on quite this scale."

"Awesome," Cassandra shook her head slightly. "So, basically every hurricane-chugging, boob-flashing tourist on Bourbon street is a potential spy."

Freya carefully lifted the tray and carried it over to the table, placing it in the center. "The good news is I know a little bit about how her magic works. This tonic," she eyed the cups of tea. "Will at least prevent her from using any of us."

As she sat down in the empty chair beside Rebekah, Rebekah was the first to reach for a teacup. "Well, come on," Rebekah eyed the others. "Should work like a charm. Bottoms up."

Cassandra blinked and stared at the tray. She felt incredibly uneasy about consuming the tonic Freya had made for them. She looked over at Klaus and could see he, too, was less than interested in it. She eyed Rebekah and Hayley, watching as they sipped from their tea cups and appeared perfectly fine. _Paranoia does not look good on you, Cass. Just drink the stupid tea,_ she silently scolded herself and reached for a cup. As she brought it up to her lips, Elijah picked up a cup and held it out to Klaus who stared at it and made no move to take it.

"Niklaus," Elijah sighed in annoyance. "Is there something you wish to contribute?"

Klaus shrugged as he walked back to the table and sat down. "I prefer biscuits with my tea."

"Of course," Elijah rolled his eyes and set the cup down on the table in front of him.

"Besides, our minds are far too strong to be invaded by kenning spells," Klaus continued, watching as Elijah took a drink from the teacup. "No, what we experienced was a test. Dahlia's watching to see how we respond to aggression. She's preparing for battle. My guess is sooner rather than later.

"Well, if she was watching us, she'd know we have our own army," Hayley pointed out.

"She also knows _where_ we are," Elijah added. "Given the immense nature of her power, we simply have no idea what to expect. What we need is to create a new stronghold, something that Dahlia knows nothing about. A sanctuary from any witchcraft."

"That's a fine strategy," Freya nodded. "I offer another. We could use Jackson to trace her magic back to its source. Find out exactly where she is."

Cassandra was on board with that idea. Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah also nodded in agreement. It all came down to Hayley to make the final call, seeing as she was Jackson's wife. All eyes fell on her, waiting for her to speak. She sighed and thought about it for a moment. When she glanced over at Klaus, he raised his eyebrows at her and smirked, all but daring her to say no and see what happened next.

"Fine," she decided. "Do it."

"Good, then it's settled. Off you pop to your respective tasks," Klaus answered, pleased with the outcome. "Me, I've always been of the opinion that the best defense is a good offense. So," he smirked. "I'm gonna find a way to murder that godforsaken witch."

Cassandra watched him leave, then stood up and headed upstairs to the nursery. She peaked in on Hope and found her fast asleep in her crib. She smiled and quietly shut the door that was connected to the bedroom before walking over to sit down on the edge of the bed. She shook her head in disbelief at how drastic a turn the day had taken. Even though they all knew Dahlia would show up eventually, Cassandra hadn't expected it to be that very day, nor did she know how helpless she would feel. She would have continued to wallow in despair, but the sound of Hayley's voice coming from her and Jackson's room down the hall provided a much needed distraction.

"Hey. You okay?" Hayley spoke in a gentle voice.

"That witch got in my head," Jackson replied in a sullen, guilt-filled voice. "I could have hurt you or Cassandra and her baby."

"Here, drink this," Hayley told him. "Freya said it will keep her from getting in again."

There was a pause and the faint sound of slurping before Jackson spoke again. "I could feel her, Hayley. Dahlia."

 _Oh, Jackson. I'm so sorry this happened,_ Cassandra sighed.

"I say we take Cassandra, Hope, and the pack and we leave town tonight," Jackson suggested.

"Wait, what?" Cassandra frowned. "Leave town? Uh…no. Try again, Jackson."

"We can't just run from our home," Hayley seemed to be on the same page as Cassandra. "Cassandra won't leave either. This is her home, too."

"Thank you, Hayley," Cassandra let out a soft breath of relief.

"You are my home. And running isn't a sign of weakness. It's what wolves do. I know every inch of that bayou. Out there, we're the predator. We can keep them safe. At the very least it'll buy us some time. Figure out a way to get rid of Dahlia for good," Jackson tried to get his wife to understand his point of view.

"What about Klaus? Elijah? Rebekah? They're Hope's family," Hayley reminded him.

"You know who else is a part of that family?" Jackson growled in frustration. "Dahlia. Look, I don't back away from a fight, okay? But this one started a thousand years ago. It's not our war. And it certainly ain't Cassandra's and her daughter's. We gotta at least talk to her. Let her decide."

Hayley didn't respond, but Cassandra figured from her silence that she agreed. _There's nothing to decide,_ Cassandra shook her head. _I'm not going anywhere. I won't run._

"I won't," she whispered in a less-than-convincing voice.

 _Even if it's what's best for your daughter? To keep her safe?_ A voice gently argued back in head.

"Ugh!" Cassandra covered her face and fell back onto the bed with a soft growl. What if it _was_ what was best for Hope? Would she have the strength to put her personal feelings aside and do what was necessary to keep protect her? Klaus would be furious with her. Elijah and Rebekah, they'd be hurt. The thought of putting all of them through that made her sick to her stomach.

"Why did I listen in on their stupid conversation?" She pounded her fists against the bed. For the first time since deciding to fake Hope's death, she realized she was going to be facing some excruciatingly painful decisions in the near future, decisions that didn't just affect her. She knew she had to be one-thousand percent sure in whatever she decided to do. She let out a resounding sigh knowing she had some serious thinking to do about what was best for Hope.

* * *

Davina carefully laid a bouquet of white lilies at the base of a tombstone in a mausoleum at Lafayette cemetery. There were dozens of bouquets of varying colors and flowers placed at the same tombstone, some more dead than others. She gently ran her fingers across the name on the tomb stone —Kaleb Westphall. It was the final resting place for the body Kol had once inhabited. Davina had been bringing flowers every day since Kol died. After a long moment of silence, she let her hand fall to her side and leaned back. She let out a breath of air, realizing she was no longer alone.

"What do you want Klaus?" She murmured without turning around.

"Perhaps I'm merely concerned about you," Klaus murmured, looking around. "You do seem to spend an inordinate of time in graveyards for a teenager. It's a rather morbid habit."

"Well, I am touched by your concern," Davina muttered sarcastically. "Anything else?" She slowly pushed herself off the ground and onto her feet.

"Now that you mention it," Klaus began to walk towards her. "There is one matter with which I could use your help. Mikael." Davina turned around to face him, remaining silent while he continued with his request. "It appears my sister, Freya, has dispatched him to gather some items I require. Seeing as how you brought him back from the dead, I'm guessing you have the means to find him."

"Sorry. I'd love to help, but I'm busy morning another dead friend," She started to step past him when he held a hand up, stopping her in her tracks and forcing her to back up again.

"Do you think you're the only one who grieves my brother?" Klaus asked her in a low voice. Davina started to open her mouth but them shut it again, realizing he was right. "I understand you hope to bring Kol back. Resurrection spells can very tricky. They tend to require a remnant of the dearly departed." This captured Davina's attention. "I myself am the guardian of Kol's remains, the ashes of his true body. Now, I might be inclined to entrust them to you were I myself feeling helpful."

"Fine. I'll find Mikael for you, and you'll give me Kol's ashes. Deal?" She asked. Klaus's lips curled into a pleased smile.

While Davina got back down on her knees and went to work on a locator spell, Klaus pulled out his phone to make a call. Once he'd found the number he wanted he turned around and took a few steps away so he wouldn't distract her.

"Aiden," he spoke in a friendly voice once the crescent wolf answered the call. "It seems your big bad alpha has been compromised."

"What? What happened?" Aiden asked in shock.

"Relax. Jackson is fine," Klaus told him in a calm voice. "He's just offered further proof of his general inadequacy. I can't trust him to guard Hope. So while my hands are full, I need you to serve as my eyes and ears. Get to the compound and report back anything I should know. Especially where my daughter's concerned."

"Yeah. Um, sure thing. I'm on my way," Aiden agreed in a less-than-thrilled tone of voice.

"Good lad," Klaus chuckled before hanging up.

He slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket and turned around to find Davina waiting for him. She motioned for him to follow her and lead the way out of the tomb. They left the cemetery and headed down one of the busy city streets. A dozen blocks later, she took a seat on a bench and crossed her legs.

"So, what's the deal anyway?" Davina asked Klaus as he walked up to her. "Aiden at your beck and call now?"

"I'm simply mentoring a promising young wolf," Klaus answered.

"Josh isn't gonna be too happy when he finds out about it," she pointed out.

Klaus took a seat beside her and rolled his eyes. "And I am shaking in my boots at the mere thought of his displeasure," he smirked. "You see, Davina, Josh and Aiden are in love. Which means they both have something to lose. Thus making them all-to-easily manipulated, should the need arise."

Davina stared at him, a frown on her face. "It must really suck to have to be you all the time."

"Well, it hasn't been a picnic, honestly," he blinked and shook his head slightly. He'd been momentarily taken aback by her calling him out.

"You know, thing is, you have that now too, don't you?" Davina leaned forward and turned her head so she was facing him at a better angle." Klaus let out a sigh as he met her eyes and smiled at her mockingly. "Someone you love more than anything, even yourself. How does that feel, to be one of us? Someone with something to lose?" Klaus's smile fell at the mention of his daughter. The fear all over his face was enough of an answer. Before he could respond, Davina nodded at the street where a Taxi was stopping to drop off someone. "Klaus, there."

Klaus watched as Mikael climbed out of the taxi, then whooshed directly behind him and pushed the door shut, causing Mikael to spin around and face him.

"Well, well, well, well, if it isn't the bastard himself. Have you come looking for another beating, boy?" Mikael narrowed his eyes.

"As much as I'd love to kill you again, I wonder if our interests might be better served by joining forces." Klaus spoke in a low voice. Mikael nodded his head once and raised his eyebrows, curiously. "You know full well the threat we face. So," he took a few steps closer to Mikael. "How about it, father? Care to join your bastard son on a witch hunt?"

Mikael smiled at him, a confirmation that he was more than up to the task.

* * *

"Thanks again for letting me vent, Cami," Cassandra let out a sigh of relief. She sat on the couch in the parlor room with her legs folded under her and absentmindedly traced the stitching on the inside part of the couch arm while she spoke to her trusted friend on the phone.

"That's what I'm here for. I'm just sorry this is happening to you and your daughter," Cami replied. "How are you holding up since…"

"Since my mom died? It comes in waves. The only upside to the stuff going on right now is that it provides a much-needed distraction from my grief."

"You know, I can totally understand that," Cami chuckled softly. "And, as someone very wise and compassionate once told me, take comfort in the fact that she's at peace."

"Gee where have I heard that before?" Cassandra let out a small laugh. A soft tap against the door frame caused her to glance over her shoulder where she found Hayley and Jackson entering the room. "Thanks for getting me to laugh a little. I needed that. Anyway, I gotta go."

"Laughter is one of the best medicines around. Glad I was able to help. Call me anytime, okay?" Cami told her.

"I will." Cassandra lowered her phone and ended the call before setting it down on the coffee table. She watched as Hayley and Jackson walked toward her.

"Can we talk to you about something?" Hayley asked, sitting down on the couch beside her while Jackson sat in one of the chairs across from the couch.

"Yeah," Cassandra nodded, leaning back against the couch. She had hoped she wouldn't have to say anything about what she'd overheard, but now she realized she would have to come clean. "This is about what the two of you were talking about a little while ago."

"Ah, you heard us," Jackson realized, though he wasn't mad. "Guess I shouldn't be too surprised by that."

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Cassandra quickly apologized. "I heard Hayley's voice at first and then you said what you said, and I couldn't really not listen to the rest after that."

"Well, what do you think?" Hayley asked in a gentle voice.

"You already know the answer to that. You said it yourself," Cassandra sighed. "I can't leave. Nor do I want to."

"Sometimes we have to do things we don't really want to do," Jackson countered.

Cassandra shook her head. "I don't think either of you realize the true extent of what you're asking me to do."

"We're not saying it's forever. It would just be until Klaus and the rest of the Mikaelsons take care of Dahlia," Hayley tried to be the voice of reason. "What do you think Tyler would tell you to do? Or Caroline?"

Cassandra frowned at the mention of her brother and sister. She knew all too well what they'd tell her to do. "Run like hell," she muttered.

"Well, then, shouldn't that carry a little weight?" Hayley asked.

Cassandra bit her lip. She could feel her resolve beginning to crumble. "How am I supposed to live with hurting Klaus and Elijah like that? They'll be so angry and devastated. I don't think I can bare that. And what about Hope? You said it Hayley. They're her family. And mine."

Jackson leaned forward and put a hand on top of hers. "Shouldn't the safety and wellbeing of your little girl be the most important thing here?" She nodded her head slowly. "I promise we will keep you both safe out there."

Cassandra pinched her eyes shut and took a deep breath before letting it out and opening her eyes again. "I need time to think this through. What you're asking me to do…I need time. Okay?"

"Of course," Both Hayley and Jackson nodded.

"Just try not to take too long. The sooner we leave, the better," Jackson added.

"Jack," Hayley flashed him a stern look. "She can take as long as she needs." She motioned for him to stand so they could give Cassandra some space. As they started to head toward the doorway, Rebekah appeared.

"There you are," she stopped in the doorway. "Freya's ready to do the spell."

They all quickly followed her out of the parlor and made their way downstairs to the dining room. Freya instructed Jackson to unbutton his shirt and lay down on the dining table. Cassandra took a spot standing on one side of the table while Hayley put herself on the other. When he was situated, Freya took a bundle of burnt sage and used it to draw a large, round symbol on his chest.

"By doing this, we should be able to trace Dahlia's signature all the way back to the source of her power," Freya explained. "But I'll need to dig deep." Once she was done drawing the symbol, she looked at Rebekah who was standing behind Cassandra. "Rebekah, if I may channel you?" Rebekah gave her small nod of her head.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Hayley murmured to Jackson.

"Piece of cake," Jackson tried to reassure her.

Cassandra moved around the table to stand beside Hayley so Rebekah could stand across from Freya. The two witches joined hands above Jackson and closed their eyes. They began to chant the incantation to the spell. Barely a second passed before Jackson grunted in pain and arched his back. A few seconds later, Rebekah pulled back abruptly with a gasp and stared at her hands in horror.

"Rebekah," Freya whispered, thinking she had pulled away because of Jackson's moaning. "We need to continue."

"I…" Rebekah stared at Freya, her eyes wide and mouth agape. She started to shake her head.

Cassandra met Hayley's eyes before staring at Rebekah. "What is it?"

"You," Rebekah stared at Freya with an appalled expression on her face. "You're the reason Dahlia's able to cast such powerful spells." Freya's face fell at Rebekah's accusation. She shook her head in disagreement while Rebekah went on. "She's channeling you!

Cassandra stared at Freya, feeling completely betrayed. "I knew it. I knew it was wrong to trust you. All this time, you've been helping her!" she hissed, narrowing her eyes.

"I had no idea!" Freya was insistent. "She must have found me." She looked back and forth from Rebekah to Cassandra, her panic level rising. "She wants to turn you against me." She started to take a step towards the table where Jackson was still laying, towards Rebekah, when Hayley and Cassandra both reached forward to push her back.

"Get away from my husband!" Hayley growled

"Get away from him!" Cassandra snapped.

"Stop," Rebekah rushed forward to diffuse the situation before it escalated any more. She put a gentle hand on Freya's arm to calm her down. Cassandra and Hayley stepped back to give them room to talk.

"Freya, I want to trust you, I do," Rebekah told her. "But you said it yourself. You're bonded to Dahlia. I'm sorry, but it's better that you go. Please."

Freya stared back at her with pain in her eye, but she didn't protest. Instead, she turned around and left. Hayley helped Jackson off the table, and together they headed upstairs to their room. Finding themselves alone, Cassandra and Rebekah went up to the parlor room to wait for Elijah to return to the compound so they could tell him what had happened. It was a conversation neither of them were looking forward to.

* * *

"You want some fries with that stake?" A brunette waitress stopped in front of the small two-person table situated next to a window inside a restaurant/bar called Rue St. Louis where Klaus was seated across from Mikael. She was referring to the white oak stake Klaus had on the table with his hands folded on top of it. It was his way of silently warning his father not to try to double cross him. He grinned and chuckled at her remark. "I bought one of my own at Marie Laveau's voodoo shop."

"I'll have a bourbon, please, sweetheart," he told her.

"Nothing. Leave us," Mikael muttered in a sharp, no-nonsense voice. The waitress nodded and walked way to fulfill Klaus's drink order. "I despise this city."

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Klaus did not want to put off the reason for their conversation longer than necessary. "Your precious Freya told me she sent you off to procure certain items that will expedite the death of your sister-in-law. May I assume you completed your task?"

"There are three elements total," Mikael explained. "Combined, they represent Dahlia's sole weakness. If you'd like to try and take them, by all means, have at it."

Klaus leaned back, picking up the stake and gripping it in his right hand as he did so. "Your mind always drifts to violence, doesn't it? Even when you're so clearly outmatched. What was it you tried teaching us? Oh, yes. 'The true Viking warrior hones his fear like a blade.'" He recited in a mocking voice.

Mikael was slowly beginning to lose patience. "Did you come here to critique my parenting skills? Or to whine about how little you were loved? You were weak before, but you are weaker still."

"If you truly thought me weak, you would snatch this weapon from my hand," Klaus spoke in a low voice as he held out the white oak stake. Mikael's eyes flickered onto it for a moment, but he did not move. "But you don't." Klaus pulled the stake back and regripped it in his right hand. "Because you know better." He paused long enough to place the stake in his inside jacket pocket and lowered his arms to a more relaxed position. "I suggest we focus on our common enemy. Rather than bringing your materials to Freya, drawing her into a fight she may not survive, why not join me? If we win, both our daughters will be free. If we lose, well, at least you die knowing the bastard finally got his due."

Mikael remained silent, thinking over Klaus's proposal. The waitress returned with not one, but two glasses of bourbon and set them down in front of Klaus and Mikael. Mikael started to open his mouth, intending to protest, but changed his mind at the last second and dismissed her.

Klaus picked up his glass and took a small sip. "Father and son working together," he mused, setting the glass back down. Mikael picked his glass up and sniffed it. Unimpressed, he set it back down. "I admit, I never thought I'd live to see the day. And that's something, coming from me."

"And what makes you think I need your help? Others may tremble at the mere mention of your name, but I know you for what you truly are. A little boy desperate for a daddy," Mikael scoffed.

"A thousand years ago, perhaps," Klaus murmured in a hushed voice. "But I think we can both agree the intervening centuries have turned me into an altogether different beast. Your _cruelty_ made sure of that. And I am vicious and hateful. Just like you. It's precisely those qualities that make us uniquely suited to murdering that witch."

"And _why_ would I trust you?" Mikael asked.

"Because my daughter's life depends on it. And you love yours as I love mine. You see, we're fighting for the same thing, you and I—to save the lives of the only ones who do not see us for the monsters that we truly are," Klaus shot back.

His answer surprised Mikael, who could not disagree with it. "All right, Niklaus," he relented and folded his hands as he sat up straighter. "Tell me what you propose."

Klaus clasped his hands together and took a small breath before speaking quietly. "You have the means to make the weapon we need. All that remains is to go for the kill." He raised his eyebrows slightly.

Before Mikael could respond, movement from the outside of their window caught his and Klaus's eyes. They turned and found the woman who had been their waitress standing in front of the glass with her hand outstretched. Her eyes had turned white which meant Dahlia was using her. The glass started to crack before bursting into a million pieces. Klaus and Mikael jumped to their feet and turned away to shield themselves from the blast. When they looked back at the waitress, her eyes had returned to normal. She stared back at them for a brief second before walking off.

"It would appear Dahlia shares that sentiment," Mikael muttered. He started to walk by Klaus who grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around to face him.

"One final hunt together, then?" Klaus asked. "Do try to keep up, old man," he smirked and let go of Mikael before following him out of the restaurant.

* * *

"What do you mean she's gone?" Elijah asked in a low voice after Rebekah and Cassandra had broken the news of what had happened earlier to him.

"She was a risk," Cassandra told him. She stood in the parlor room with her hands on her hips, watching while Elijah paced around.

"She was also the one person who intimately understands the enemy we now face," Elijah pointed out with a raised hand.

"Both of you just stop it," Rebekah had been hanging back and finally walked up to stand beside Cassandra.

"I was protecting Hope from someone it is obvious none of us completely trust," Cassandra shot back in an attempt to defend the decision to ask Freya to leave.

Elijah agreed with that part. "Correct. We've done nothing but doubt Freya. Nevertheless, she kept her promise, and she saved your life," he motioned at Rebekah with his hand. "We certainly haven't demonstrated the same kindness towards her."

"So what the bloody hell do we do now?" Rebekah asked with a sigh.

"There's a jazz club in Algiers by the name of The St. James Infirmary. Marcel has acquired it and Josephine is fortifying it as a sanctuary against magic," he explained. He directed his next words to Cassandra. "Pack your things. Marcel will escort you and Hope there tonight at nine o'clock. You," he pointed at Rebekah. "Wait with me."

"What for?" Rebekah asked as he walked towards the door.

"If Freya should return, we'll be here. Now, whether we trust her or not, we cannot win this fight without her."

Cassandra watched him walk out of the room and let out a sigh. She hated disappointing him, but she didn't have any second thoughts about Freya's departure. Shaking the sting off, she left the parlor and looped Jackson and Hayley in on the new plan before going into her room to pack. She dug her duffel bag out of the closet and set it on the bed. _Shoot, I should have at least asked for a time frame, so I know how much to pack. Oh well._ She threw a few different pairs of jeans in, knowing she could get multiple wears out of them before they would need to be washed, followed by an assortment of different tops that could be worn together in layers or on their own. Next she went through her underwear drawer and added what she thought was a sufficient number to the bag. Once she was satisfied with that, she went into the bathroom and collected her toiletries bag.

It wasn't until she was in the nursery packing up a bag of Hope's things when she heard the commotion downstairs. Frey had returned to tell them she'd had a run in with Dahlia. Dahlia was making her move that night and intended to make Klaus and Mikael her next victims. _Oh no!_ Cassandra's heart began to race. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and forced herself to stop listening. She would not allow herself to get caught up in worrying about something she had no control over. She glanced down at Hope who was sitting up in the crib and looking back at her with a smile and smiled back. _I need to stay focused on Hope and keeping her safe._ She brushed the top of Hope's head with her hand and went back to packing.

"Need a hand?" Hayley appeared in the nursery doorway connected to the hallway.

"Sure," Cassandra nodded and pointed to Hope's diaper bag. "Can you make sure that's fully stocked with diapers, wipes, and baby formula?"

"Absolutely," Hayley nodded and carried it over to the changing table that was next to the dresser.

Meanwhile, in their room, Jackson sat on the bed with an open journal in his hand. He had drawn out a map of the bayou and was studying it when a light tap at the door made him look up to find Aiden in the doorway.

"Hey, come on in," he motioned with his head. "Shut the door," he pointed at it. Aiden closed it with a soft click and walked over to him. "You're my right hand, Aiden," Jackson stood up and faced him. "You've always been loyal, brave. I want you to know I don't take that for granted. That's why you're the only one I can trust with this. Hayley and I need to get Cassandra and Hope the hell out of here. Tonight."

"Right under Klaus's roof? He's gonna kill you," Aiden stared at him, stunned that Jackson wanted to do something so drastic.

"Klaus will kill me for leaving dishes in the sink. It's all the more reason to run," Jackson spat back to him.

"I'm not joking," Aiden spoke calmly. "Klaus will find out. He has his ways. You know that."

"I got a route mapped out through side streets and back roads," Jackson went on to explain his plan. "Between Dahlia's spying and Klaus's ways, we need to get out of here fast. I need you to get a car and meet us at the service entrance at eight forty-five. I mean exactly _eight forty-five_. Marcel's coming at nine."

"Yeah, of course. I'll be there," Aiden nodded.

Jackson nodded back and gave his arm a light tap in appreciation. "I don't know how long we'll be away. Wolves are gonna need a leader. You up for it?"

Aiden nodded his head. Jackson nodded back, gave him a light pat on the shoulder in thanks, then sent him off to get a car ready for later that night.

-o-

"Cassandra?" Jackson called out to her in a soft voice as he entered her giant bedroom. She came out of the nursery and into the room behind him with Hope in her arms and a large bag of Hope's things draped over her shoulder. Both were bundled up in warm clothes for travel during the cold night. Hope cooed at Jackson as she came to a stop, making him smile. Cassandra's face was completely serious.

"Klaus and Elijah are the oldest, most powerful vampires in the world, and Dahlia's got them scared," she murmured in a soft voice. "If she takes them down, I don't want Hope to be around to see what happens next." Jackson flashed her a sympathetic look and ran a hand over Hope's knit-beanie-covered head. "Do you really think that this is the best plan to protect her?"

"I really do," Jackson nodded his head.

She nodded once and followed him out of the room. Hayley was waiting for them in the hallway along with their three overnight bags. She and Jackson picked them up and continued to lead the way downstairs. They walked through the courtyard over to the corridor leading to the garage and slipped outside through the service entrance at the end of the hall.

"Aiden should be here in five minutes," Jackson told them.

Cassandra nodded and kept her eyes on the street. She hated the secrecy but knew it was necessary. A lump formed in her throat at the thought of how angry Klaus and Elijah would be with her, but she swallowed it down and pushed those thoughts away. She didn't trust herself to follow through if she allowed herself to think about them for too long.

The minutes ticked by until 8:45 had come and gone. Jackson rubbed his hands together anxiously and looked down the street.

"He should be here by now," he murmured, slipping his hands into his jacket pocket. "Something must have happened."

"Awesome," Cassandra muttered under her breath as she lightly bounced Hope in her arms. She started to fuss from being out in the cold. Jackson stepped behind Cassandra and helped adjust the blanket that was around Hope, tucking it in to keep her warm.

"Everything okay?" Marcel appeared a few feet away from them on the street.

Cassandra exchanged a quick look with Hayley and Jackson who both wore surprised expressions on their faces. She knew she had to act quick because Marcel would run straight to Klaus and Elijah if he knew their plan.

"Yeah. Took you long enough," she answered in a calm voice. "Are we going to Algiers or what?" She asked, walking towards him.

"Right now that club is the safest place in town," Marcel smiled.

Cassandra met his eyes but remained silent and continued to walk past him to get to the car he had waiting for them. Hayley and Jackson followed right behind her.

"Well, that sounds like a bloody fiasco," Rebekah muttered after hearing about Klaus, Elijah, Mikael, and Freya's first meeting with Dahlia that night.

Things had gone horribly wrong. Dahlia had been waiting for them at St. Anne's church with an army of humans possessing a little bit of her own magic. While Klaus and Mikael were able to finish them all off, it didn't do them any good. She effortlessly destroyed the weapon they'd had Davina make, a dagger with three special ingredients bound to it—soil from her homeland which links her to her mortal life, the Viking ash of her oppressors representing the source of her immense hatred, and Freya's blood representing that which Dahlia loves most of all. She would have succeeded in killing them if it had not been for Freya's intervening. Still, after all was said and done, they were left defenseless and with an impending twenty-four-hour deadline to surrender Hope.

Klaus stood hunched over the small bar in the courtyard nursing a bourbon while Rebekah was brought up to speed. "Where's Dahlia now?" Rebekah asked.

"She could be anywhere," Elijah answered in a low, defeated voice. "There wasn't a trace of her left in that church."

"She's done with us for the night," Freya replied bitterly. "No doubt she wants us to take some time to wallow in our defeat," she directed the sentiment at Klaus.

He lifted his head and lowered his glass. "Defeat?" He called out. He set down his glass on top of the bar and turned around to finally face everyone. "I disagree. We saw her face, we took her measure," he walked toward the middle of where they were congregating, his eyes on Mikael and Freya. "If that's the best she's got, quite frankly, I'm unimpressed.

"Her aim was not to impresses us," Mikael stepped toward him. "She wanted us to reveal our sole weapon. And like fools, we did."

"Am I hearing things, or did Nik just exchange words with our father?" Rebekah glanced from Klaus to Mikael.

Mikael turned toward her, not realizing who she was until that moment. "Rebekah. I'd know that wicked tongue anywhere," he smiled. "What mischief have you gotten yourself into now? No doubt the bastards doing."

"Enough," Klaus growled softly. "My patience, like this farce of a reunion, is at an end," he turned around and walked back over to the bar.

"Agreed," Elijah nodded and walked past Mikael to Freya. "There really is only one question here. What exactly are we doing?"

"This was _not_ my plan," Freya hissed at Klaus, making him turn around again. "You rushed it and made but a single weapon. Of course she took it from you. And now we've lost what advantage we had and used up the very materials we needed to kill her."

Klaus propped one arm on top of the bar and leaned back. "That's a bit histrionic. Your materials are easily found. Let's take stock, shall we? There's an ample supply of your blood. Norwegian soil is hardly scarce. What else? Ah, yes, the ashes of Dahlia's Viking oppressors."

"Only priceless relics gotten with great difficulty at a museum," Mikael told him. "Lost, due to your worthless strategies!" He yelled. Fueled by anger, Klaus whooshed over to him and grabbed him, pinning him against the wall and shoving the tip of the indestructible white oak stake into his chest.

"No!" Freya cried out and started to move toward them but was held back by Elijah.

"If I feel even the faintest touch of your magic Freya, I will end him with a flick of my wrist," Klaus yelled over his shoulder at her. He met Mikael's unfazed eyes. "You don't seem surprised."

"Betrayal is in your nature, boy," Mikael muttered.

"No," Klaus tightened his jaw. "I wasn't born like this. _Her_ you fight for. Lovely Freya, the daughter you barely know. Yet there was a time when you knew me as your son. A time before all the disappointments, the revelations of betrayal. There were moments when all you had to do was be my father!" His eyes became glossy with tears. "And even then, you despised me, didn't you? I want to know why."

Mikael stared at him, his face softening. "I don't know," he whispered with a small shake of his head. "I just did."

Klaus let out a soft gasp and looked down as a tear fell down his cheek. He took a deep breath to reign in his emotions and looked up at Mikael again with a stone-cold glare. "Are those your final words?" He uttered in a low voice.

Mikael looked past Klaus at Freya as sadness filled his eyes. "Freya," he called out to her. "I'm so sorry. I love—"

Enraged by Mikael's final show of tenderness toward Freya, Klaus plunged the white oak stake all the way into his heart. He yelled out in pain from the initial impact.

"No!" Freya cried out and continued to struggle against Elijah's hold. "NOOOO!"

Klaus let go of the stake and stepped back as Mikael slowly lifted his hand and held it out toward them. He stumbled forward and fell to his knees before finally keeling over. His body desiccated and burst into flames a second later. Klaus slowly turned around to face his stunned siblings.

"Viking ash is indeed rare," he told them. "But all you really need is a burning Viking corpse," he added with a smile. He began to walk past Freya, who was on her knees sobbing, to get back to the bar, when she jumped up to attack him, but Elijah was quick to restrain her. He met Rebekah's equally stunned eyes as they watched the crackling fire from Mikael's corpse.


End file.
